Fire and Hunger
by CrimsonNi
Summary: Perhaps he was naive but he thought with training and friends, he'd be able to do away with his long ago past. After it comes back to bite him in the ass, he's left to pick up these shattered pieces that originally made him in the first place. LuSan. One-sided ZoSan. Might be a little OOC. Rated M for adult stuff and language
1. Author Notes and Preview

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** So this is the new fan-fic that I was referring to in my AN on Always a Sin; this idea has been plaguing my mind for a while now and it's only been getting crazier as time passes, especially when the new OP chapters come out. Now, I am a HUGE ZoSan OTP worshipper but my fangirl heart makes leeway for other ships as well (except for ZoLu or LuZo—sorrynotsorry) and my heart flutters when I think about LuSan. Honestly, I think the relationship between Luffy and Sanji is something special on a different level, more than romance. I really think that those two, despite having very little screen/panel time in comparisons to other pairs, have an amazing chemistry that absolutely glows when they are together. It's more than loyalty too. It's just something else. The parallels between the two, the friendship, the comradery, everything—it's strong. That's why I can't freaking WAIT for when Luffy goes up against one of the Vinsmokes because it's just gonna solidify the bond between them. Ugh, so without further ado, please enjoy this new fic and let me know what you think. I'm gonna try my ABSOLUTE hardest to not go too OOC but if you've read my other fics, you know that might be impossible.

Speaking of which, if you do end up liking this one (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

P.S. I know AN are not allowed as solo entries so right below is just a preview of what to expect and new chapter will be the beginning to the story.

 _Had he been normal, he would have thought the heat was unbearable, but on the contrary, it was the most—the only—pleasant feeling he ever experienced. The feeling curled all throughout his skin, wilting the invisible peach fuzz that existed on his arms and chest. It spread around his organs until each and every one thumped in unison, echoing, thrumming like a small drum. He thought the burn of a cigarette was the only ecstasy a man could feel with fire, but he was wrong. So very wrong. This paled in comparison and he wished he could have been smart enough to learn of it sooner. It would have been addicting, somehow even powerful than the urge to cook, but it would have been worth it if he could feel this. Except that he's tasted this fire, he has to pay with his blood. He has to leave before he could ever feel it again…_.


	2. Your Highness

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** First chapter of the story! Tell me what you think?

Speaking of which, if you do end up liking this one (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

 **Chapter One:**

 _Had he been normal, he would have thought the heat was unbearable, but on the contrary, it was the most—the only—pleasant feeling he ever experienced. The feeling curled all throughout his skin, wilting the invisible peach fuzz that existed on his arms and chest. It spread around his organs until each and every one thumped in unison, echoing, thrumming like a small drum. He thought the burn of a cigarette was the only ecstasy a man could feel with fire, but he was wrong. So very wrong. This paled in comparison and he wished he could have been smart enough to learn of it sooner. It would have been addicting, somehow even powerful than the urge to cook, but it would have been worth it if he could feel this. Except that he's tasted this fire, he has to pay with his blood. He has to leave before he could ever feel it again…_.

 _The last thing he could recall seeing was the dulling of two blues that so closely resembled his own. Heh, at every opportunity he ever had, he always claimed difference to them, yet now they were exactly alike. Both pale, limb, and eyes that were fading, slowly falling into darkness that was eternal sleep. He knew he shouldn't follow, that he had more than a dream to fight for, but a captain that depended on him to feed him and his crew. He needed to go back to Luffy and beg for forgiveness, for being so weak but this damn sleep was winning and the fire was still pleasantly burning. "Sorry, Lu..ffy."_

Unmistakable pain surged through his body like an electrical surge. With a high pitched gasp, he shot out of bed only to find himself wrenched right back down. If he didn't feel so disorientated perhaps he would have kept a cool head, but panic set in and it worsened his senses. He could barely see or hear or feel anything but pain. Were his brothers torturing him again? Or maybe that sick whack-job of a scientist?! His mind would have continued on its dark wonderment if it weren't for the gentle hand patting his sweat-soaked face. His eyes shot up, fearing it would be his sister instead (since the hand was much too delicate to be male) but the gods favored him when he saw it was another familiar face instead. Lavender locks bundled up in a messy bun, smooth caramel skin glowing lightly thanks to the few candles lighting the room, and a pair of rustic eyes peered down at him with concern.

"H-Hiniku?" he whispered.

"You're finally awake, Your Highness, but please take it easy. You are still wounded from the recent battles and have lost a substantial amount of blood." Her accent was thick and her voice was deep but he heard her well, already used to her form of speech.

Sanji looked around the room as best he could due to the awkward position he was in. He couldn't help the painful thud in his heart when he saw he was in a familiar infirmary room. Maybe all that he saw earlier was just a dream? The thought only caused a loud miserable groan to escape him.

"I see you're in pain, let me get the doctor."

"I don't want to see that shit-head! I don't want him touching me," Sanji snarled venomously.

The woman, Hiniku, blinked in what seemed like shock before crossing her arms and raising her one brow in question. "If he heard you say that, I'm not sure if he'd cry or try to scold you."

"Why the hell should I care how he'd react?"

Hiniku added a frown to her expression. "I'm hoping you're cranky because you're injured and hungry."

Sanji accidentally bit his lip, a habit he was sure to never wane from since he was a heavy smoker, before narrowing his eyes at Hiniku in betrayal. "I'm not cranky, I'm fucking pissed! I thought you were on my side!"

"Obviously."

"Then why the hell are you handing me over to that quack?!"

Again Hiniku raised her brow in question but instead of frowning, it was accompanied by an amused smirk. It infuriated Sanji to such an unbelievable level and that only added to his hurt. She leaned down until she was barely a breath away. "Because you're hurt. Suck it up, Your Highness. Once they learn that you're awake, you'll be having quite the busy day."

"Stop! Don't open that door! Hiniku, I swear to god, you open that door and I'll never fucking forgive you!"

She simply rolled her eyes before returning her way to the door. "Come now, you'll forgive me. A real man always forgives a lady's lies, right?"

"You are no lady!" He yelled.

Before Sanji's protest could continue, Hiniku opened the door, letting in a blast of light that blinded Sanji momentarily. She stuck her head out and then yelled for someone's attention. There was a lot of sudden scrambling heard as Sanji tried his hardest to regain his sight—then again, did he want to face that freakish looking scientist? But yet again, another sense of familiarity corrected his assumption.

"Sanji!" That high squeal could only belong to one voice!

"C-Chopper?!" He forced his eyes to widen and open to get a better look. Sure enough, there was little Chopper with his big teary eyes and antlers and fur trembling with so much emotion that Sanji was practically soaked already with it. It wasn't the fucked-up scientist, it was _his_ doctor. He looked to Hiniku who only stood there in all her smugness. "W-What…?"

"Oh, you're awake! Luffy is going to be so happy to hear! Are you in pain?! What the hell am I asking, of course you are, just look at those bandages! Don't worry, Sanji, it'll feel better in just a minute, count on me!"

"Wait, wait, Chopper, why are you here? What the hell is going on?!"

Chopper tilted his head in that adorable manner that always softened Sanji's heart before replying in a calmer tone. "Sanji, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I...," Sanji trailed off and took the moment to ponder. His head felt heavy with words and blurry imagery and he wondered if this is what it felt like to be a human book or Robin-chwan. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, trying to catch a glimpse of when he was last awake. The first memory to pop up in his head was none other than himself in a battle against one of his brothers but he couldn't remember who. "I was fighting? Um, against one of those blonde-headed idiots—"

"Ichiji to be precise," Hiniku interjected.

"I guess I lost?" A different kind of pain surged through Sanji when asking that. The sheer embarrassment of losing to that fool— _again_ —was too hard of a pill to swallow for Sanji.

"Well you tell us; when we found you guys, you were bleeding out and he already had a foot in death's door and that does not include the severe burns he was covered in."

Sanji sighed. "So he isn't dead?"

"Were you _trying_ to kill him?"

"I _wanted_ to, but I think I chickened out. Ugh."

Sanji noticed that Hiniku muttered something under her breath but before he could ask, Chopper spoke up. "So you remember fighting your…brother; is that all?"

"That's all I can think of right now but what I want to know is why we're in this room and not on the Sunny. What happened after I passed out?"

It didn't go unnoticed the sly glance Chopper and Hiniku shared amongst each other. "There were too many injured so Law and I and some helpful volunteers had to divide them up. I knew Sunny would have been a more preferable choice for you to wake up in but," Chopper paused and a heavy blush graced his face. He looked nervous for some reason. "But truthfully, the uh, equipment here is a lot more advance and—"

"And you wanted to take full advantage of that," Sanji finished with a draining exhale, hoping to disguise the wince at hearing Law's name. Just the mention caused a nasty pulse to go off in his head. "I get it, Chopper, no worries. Wish _you'd_ have mentioned something at least." Referring to Hiniku.

She responded at first with a smile. "And miss the chance to tease you? Never. Anyway, let's get you all cleaned up so the rest of the crew can see you. They've all been anxious."

"Why? How long was I out?"

"Eight days," Chopper replied quietly, bowing his head so low that Sanji had difficulty seeing him any longer.

"E-Eight days?! What the—" Sanji made to get up but he was then reminded of his position. He wondered why he felt so restricted when he woke up but he paid it little mind when he saw Hiniku. Now taking a closer look, he saw both his arms retrained on the rails of the bed, covered in several layers of gauze. "W-Why am I…?"

"Your Highness, I need you to breathe. That's right, take a deep breath, just like me. I'm going to release your hands okay? And any questions you have, we'll answer them once you get a stretch and something to eat."

Sanji just nodded and followed Hiniku's hands with his eyes, watching as she slowly released the restraints around his hands. Although a part of him wished she'd hurry up, he liked the calm pace that she took. She was being careful of his hands, that thankfully, were intact. Still scarless, unmarred, untainted by the demons of his past. The reality of it made him want to cry; his eyes even watered, ready to spill over from even the slightest movement of his being. He tried keeping himself in check, especially since Chopper was in the room, but _his hands were safe_. His dream, a dream that had long saddled in the minds of many sailors and pirates _like Zeff_ was still a possibility for him. Just reminding himself of Zeff pushed the tears to fall and no matter how hard he tried, there was no longer a way to control them.

"Sanji?!" Chopper gasped in worry.

"Fine, I….fine! My hands!" Sanji sobbed, his speech gurgled in salty water.

Chopper sighed in relief and both he and Hiniku smiled in comfort for Sanjji's revelation. They were as happy as he about the health of his hands. Once Sanji's hands were free, they helped him up but the shift in his mood motivated him to move on his own. He immediately flew from the bed and searched the room for a sign of a familiar black outfit.

"It was ripped up in all places and soaked in blood—there was no way to salvage it," Hiniku said, already knowing of what he was looking for. "I set out that set there until we can find you another suit."

He should have felt sad about the loss of his favorite suit, but at least it just his clothes and _not his hands_. So he'd take it. However, he still couldn't help but furrow his brows in confusion. "How do you know my measurements?"

A smug grin made its way onto her face. "Cute how you question me on matters so simple."

"You didn't do anything weird while I was sleeping, did you?!"

Hiniku did not respond, and instead, made her way towards the door with a vindictive smile the whole while. Without a sound, she walked out to give Sanji space to dress himself, but Chopper remained. When Sanji looked at him, his eyes were wide and his jaw was slack, leaving his mouth wide open.

"I can't believe it."

"What?"

"I've never seen you speak so casually to a woman before. I mean I figured our earlier conversations were because you just woke up and were discombobulated but…wow. That was so normal."

Now it was Sanji's turn to blush. "I can have normal conversations with women," he muttered.

"No way, not like that. Is Hiniku-san a special kind of lady?" Chopper giggled, trying to have harmless fun to ease the Cook's disheveled nerves.

Sanji could only blush harder because unfortunately, Chopper had _no_ fucking idea. "No, just…no, I swear. She's different, okay?"

Chopper nodded, not really caring what the nature of their odd relationship. When he had first met her, she had been this strange enigma that haunted the curious part of his mind, but instead of her mysteriousness being strange, Chopper found it intriguing. The aura that she exuded at first reminded him of when Robin first joined the crew; beautiful, calm, intelligent, even morbid at times, but after some time, she began changing his perception. The manner in which she loyally followed Sanji and his wishes despite the consequences they'd cost her reminded him of Sanji—but female! After the epiphany had hit, he couldn't _not_ see it anymore. Minus the cooking and smoking obsession, she was an exact replica of Sanji. The manner that she shadowed their battles and calculated scenarios was as if Sanji was right there all along. Granted, she was a bit more violent than Sanji (somehow) but Chopper felt comforted that Sanji had an ally during his troubles.

He shook his head to return to the task at hand. He needed to help Sanji with his bandages. Sanji was already waiting for him, dressed in beige pants that looked a little snug, but Sanji didn't look uncomfortable so maybe they did fit, and a plain black tank top that showed off the entirety of his shoulders and collarbone. Were it not for some scuffs and scratches marring his skin, Sanji would have looked exactly like a painting. Pale sure, but his skin still held a well enough glow that pinked all throughout, his hair was longer and messy but it framed his face so kindly that no one would think PIRATE when you looked at him, and best of all, his eyes were remarkably blue—truthfully, Chopper's favorite feature of his. Sanji's eyes were symbols of adventure and ocean, two things that certainly helped define Sanji's person. He approached Sanji and gently pulled the end of the bandage, ready to peel it back at a snail's pace until it was all removed.

There were stains of blood, but nothing as bad as when Sanji first was taken in. The memory caused Chopper to shiver and grimace. Sanji had truly been in the worst shape he had ever seen him, actually worse than any of the Strawhats so far. It was more due to the blood loss than anything else, but still, Sanji was practically broken. So many bones were clean cut or shattered, this or that organ punctured, wounds so deep that Chopper feared it was an autopsy remake. He wanted to puke when he found him. He did after the surgeries were over. Had it not been for Law and his devil fruit, it'd be a wonder how they'd save Sanji. Sanji wasn't supposed to live, but here he was, in one whole piece with little consequence to show for it. At least not physically.

The silence in the room was so deafening that Chopper needed to hear Sanji to confirm his consciousness. "What are you thinking about?"

"How fucked up my arms look," Sanji instantly replied. The tone sounded relaxed but Chopper wasn't really sure if that's how he actually was.

After the mention, Chopper looked at the skin and had to wordlessly affirm Sanji's deduction. His hands were perfect, but the limbs they were connected to could not be called the same. Most of the skin had been… _blown_ off by cheaply made exploding cuffs so there were wrinkles and veins bulging out, discoloration that made Sanji's arms look rotted and fake, and black patches that defined _crisp_ in new way.

"Some…improvement is needed, but I promise that I'll work on some remedies to grow the rest of the skin back and I'll reconstruct the scar tissues too—"

"Thank you, Chopper, that means a lot, but there's no need."

Shocked was not a strong enough word. "W-What?"

"As long as my hands are fine, I can deal with the rest. Thank you again, Chopper."

"No need to compliment me, you bastard!" Chopper complained despite the wide smile on his face, but he immediately regained focus. "B-But Sanji—!"

He trailed off when he saw Sanji's smile that seem to have silently ended the conversation on his terms. The rest of their moment remained silent as Chopper added ointment to the wounds and rewrapped the wounds. Sanji took a set of three deep breaths before exiting the room, once again being blinded by the natural light of the outside. For a moment, he had forgotten that he was not on the Sunny and was disappointed to not see the grassy deck, tangerine grove, the lion-head, _his crew_. However, what he did see still surprised him nonetheless. Lined up in perfect lines, perfectly symmetrical in every angle, were dozens of men dressed in the dreaded Germa 66 uniform. Not a hair out of place. Thankfully the weather was kind, but he still hoped they hadn't been standing there long, waiting for him for whatever reason. Actually, whether they were waiting or not, just what the hell were they doing here? No, what was _he_ doing here? He suddenly realized that Chopper's explanation earlier hadn't actually explained anything. Where the hell was the Sunny?!

"You looked panicked again," Hiniku said from his side. Apparently she had been standing by the door for what may have been the entire time.

"What's going on?" Sanji demanded.

"The doctor already told you, the injured had to be split up—"

"So then where's the Sunny? Where's my crew? What are _they_ doing?" Gesturing to the men in formation.

"Do you truly not remember anything aside from the fight with Ichiji?"

Sanji groaned in frustration, wanting to pull his hair out. "No but it would be helpful if you threw a guy a bone."

Hiniku went into her famous position and crossed her arms, huffing in what may have been irritation. "That crazy captain of yours busted the wedding which wasn't appreciated by the Vinsmokes or Big Mom. I think he was going to grab you but your father stepped in the way and then they fought. Chaos ensued until Capone ruined it further."

"Capone?"

"Yes, he tried to backstab Big Mom and admitted an alliance with the Vinsmokes. That didn't go over very well. He was killed off, some more chaos, you stopped an attempted assassination against Big Mom—"

" _What?!_ " He hissed, red-faced from disbelief.

"Let me finish. This is a long story and I'm trying to paraphrase. _Anyway_ , it is exactly as I've said, the Vinsmokes were going to assassinate Big Mom and you stopped it. That won her favor and she then ordered her men to protect you and give you a window to escape. Luffy grabbed you and the rest would have been history had the siblings not followed you all to Wano. An all-out war broke out; first everybody against Kaido and then everyone against everyone else. Ichiji cornered you and I don't know how long you two fought but it must have been a while. When we got there, the battlefield was bloody and destroyed and the two of you were in the middle."

"You would think I would remember that…but that still doesn't explain where everyone is."

"Relax, the ship is on the other side, most of your crew resting. Your captain wanted you on the Sunny but your doctor recommended this ship since the equipment was better suited to your injuries. Plus, since it is technically _your_ ship, it'd give you more privacy by right."

"I don't need special treatment!" He growled.

"Your captain disagreed. He wanted only the best for you and I concur, Your Highness."

"Stop calling me that, I'm not like them."

"I wasn't insinuating that you were. On the contrary, you put them to shame with how regal you've turned out to be. Nevertheless, whether homeless, a pirate, or tyrant, you are my prince to follow."

Sanji blushed and he hated himself for it. "My point is that if other people are involved, I don't need that big-ass room to myself."

Hiniku rolled her eyes again, another famous trait of hers. "Chopper and Law split everyone up by severity and trust me when I say you were on top of the 'severe list'."

"Aside from some soreness and my arms, I don't feel all too bad."

"Thank Law for that. Actually, your captain was the one who ordered him to work on you first—both him and Chopper—and they spent three nights operating on you."

Sanji now felt like a bag of emotions. Elated for the care that was put into his health, happy and loved for Chopper's dedication, scared for the unsaid _what-ifs_ , and frustrated that he was now indebted to the other captain. Of course he was thankful, beyond so, but he didn't want to be this indebted to him. He didn't want to owe Law anything, especially not his life.

"I can't tell if you're happy or upset."

"I'm fine, now what about these guys?"

"What else? They're your loyalists."

"Meaning?"

"That they now belong to you—all 100,000 men."

Not that there was anything to choke on, yet Sanji still found himself chocking, gasping for a lungful of air. All blood drained from his face, leaving him light-headed and dizzy. Once again, Hiniku had to step into his space and command him to breathe, to listen to her deep voice and follow her movements.

"I can't," he gasped.

"Don't think about it now. You said you wanted to see your crew, so let's take that step first. There's still a lot more to discuss, Your Highness."

Sanji nodded. Yes, that was better, his crew. His _nakama_. They were waiting for him so he needed to focus on that. He saw Hiniku wave her hand and the men down below dispersed, returning to whatever business they were originally tending to. He could feel their eyes on his moving form. What were their thoughts? On the recent war, on the apparent disbandment and eradication of the Vinsmoke family? Sanji wasn't familiar with this type of power, common amongst luxurious folks. Sure, he was born into a wealthy family, but Sanji has only lived a common life and the most he ruled over was a kitchen. Even then, it was only for a short while until Zeff would return. Armies were not like kitchen staff; he couldn't command them to skewer an enemy like he would a cook to a piece of pork. The sensation of nausea suddenly hit him and somehow, within the blink of an eye, Hiniku spun him against a dark wall and lowered him over some empty mop pail where any remaining nutrients within his stomach would land. He prayed he wasn't loud with his gagging but he couldn't really concentrate with the burning feeling scratching his throat as bile rose out.

How embarrassing. He groaned when he finished and when he stood, he immediately rubbed at his face, trying desperately to rid himself of the obvious evidence on his face. Without actually having to look, he knew he looked a mess. Eyes were probably shot, he smelled and now his breath joined in in that department, he was wrinkled and sweaty—he couldn't actually see the crew like this.

"I need to clean up, please. I can't see them like this," he croaked through a constricted throat.

"Of course, Your Highness."

Hiniku kindly tightened her hold around Sanji and escorted him to the nearest showers. The bathroom was thankfully empty but in case, Hiniku felt the need to lock the door; she knew Sanji would have fallen deeper into depression if anyone were to see him like this. She sat him down on the bench and proceeded to undress him, being mindful of any wounds, especially his arms. Sanji had his eyes closed, but she knew he was awake due to how tense he was. When he was stark naked (and surprisingly not fussy that Hiniku was privy to this), she made her way to the knobs to blast the hot water. Within seconds, the steam clouded the bathroom, shrouding them both in a misty bubble. Hiniku made to help him but Sanji softly battered her hands away.

"I'll clean myself. Just please stand by the door. I'll call you when I'm done."

"Of course." She made her way to the door but left it a crack open to keep an ear out for any mishaps. Last thing she wanted was to hear Sanji fall and injure himself further. True to his word, however, Sanji softly called for her name when he finished. Aside from his arms, Sanji was squeaky clean, pink and raw all over as if he scrubbed himself harshly several times over. She handed him a towel and placed some toiletries on the nearby counter (mouthwash and toothpaste/toothbrush) that she had a soldier fetch for her. The clothes from before were still considered clean, so Sanji redressed himself in the same wear and proceeded to brush his teeth as rigorously as he washed himself. As expected, his gums were brushed raw and bloody.

"Okay, now I'm ready."

"Very well."

The two made their way to the other side of the ship where Sanji would find a small bridge that connected the Sunny and the main Germa 66 ship. Hiniku lacked hesitation in crossing over, but did wait patiently for Sanji to follow. Sanji felt weird, almost as if he were crossing between dimensions because unlike the Sunny, the Germa ship was dark and dreary, wood and metal, whereas he could see the luscious grass of the Sunny, the bright colors, the clean wood that he knew Franky worked endlessly to upkeep. He was finally _home_! With that thought in mind, Sanji raced across the bridge and planted his feet solidly onto the Sunny. Damn, he had the urge to cry again but he'd be damned if he let them loose this time. Despite wearing shoes, Sanji was sure the grass was swaying underneath his feet. The air felt so much lighter on this ship, the atmosphere was honestly so contagious. He immediately felt happy.

However, a more pressing matter was at hand. His kitchen. He needed to see his _kitchen_ again! He heard Hiniku telling him to slow down, but he paid no mind as he ran across the deck and into the kitchen. He opened the door but was hit with a wild and unexpected surprise.

"SANJI!" Multiple voices shouted in glee. The entire crew and then some were all crouched in together in the kitchen, sitting at the tables, on the floor, by the large windows, all with a glass of something to drink and large smiles on their faces. There they were, the main and most important people of his life; Nami, Robin, Franky, Chopper, fucking Ussop man, Brook, _Zoro_ , and Luffy.

He wasn't sure what to do next but he didn't have to worry long since he was bombarded by hugs from Nami, Ussop and Chopper. All three were crying (well Franky too, but at least he was doing it from afar) and tightened their hold on him. They were blubbering a bunch of words into his chest and although he had difficulty in understanding them, he still chuckled, assuming that they were scolding him for his recklessness.

And of course, he was right. "Why are you laughing, BAKA! You scared us half to death; we thought you died!" Ussop screamed.

"He's right! You have no idea, Sanji, how could you!" Chopper threw in.

"Dumbass," Nami cried.

"I'm so sorry, you guys, I…wish it…didn't happen that way."

The three continued to sob on but on remark from Zoro had them quiet down. "Oi, you keep latching on to him and his arms are gonna fall off."

They immediately hopped out of his arms, leaving a _whish_ of cold air before their faces transformed into ones of horror and guilt. Sanji barely had woken up and yet they were already being selfish in their demeanor. But Sanji disagreed and glared at the pig-headed swordsman.

"My arms are fine, Marimo."

"You're bleeding, stupid Love-cook."

Unfortunately, the idiot was right, much to Sanji's dismay. When he looked at his arms, there was some blood seeping through the gauze which furthered the guilty looks of his crew mates.

"Guys, it's okay. I didn't feel it, the skin is just…it's fine."

"Come Sanji, I'll patch you right up!" Chopper declared.

Except the hand that touched his arm was not a reindeer hoof. "Actually Tony-ya, I would like to take a look at Blackleg-ya's condition. Perhaps I can help find a way to improve the skin's fragility."

 _Fragility_. That struck a horrible cord within the confines of Sanji's dark mind. He violently snatched his arm away from Law's and without realizing, fueled the blues of his eyes with intense fury. He shot a gaze so intense that he was confident in thinking he could set Law on fire. "No thanks," he spat. "Chopper can look at it just fine." The acidity of his tone startled everyone in the room. Silence and awkwardness quickly followed.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Law raised his hands in surrender. "Forgive me, that was insensitive. Of course you want someone you're more familiar with."

"C-Come on, Sanji, let me take another look at your arm," Chopper stammered out.

As they were about to turn to leave, Luffy spoke for the first time since Sanji woke up. "Sanji," he called. His voice was loud and clear with a little hint of command in it (as if Luffy were testing out a 'manly' voice) that had Sanji turning around even before he could think it. Luffy was calm and poised, perched on top of one of the benches, his legs knocking into Zoro's arms since Zoro was actually sitting properly on the seating part. Although he was smiling with a wide, closed-eyed smile, Sanji could feel his eyes boring into him. Sanji could almost taste the concern in the air that Luffy was exuding, but ironically, that only calmed Sanji's frayed nerves. And Luffy must have sensed that because he then smiled bigger and rested his chin in one of his hands. "Make sure you're quick. There's a lot of meat we got for you to cook."

"Luffy! Sanji just woke up from some serious injuries! He shouldn't be cooking!" Chopper scolded and Nami and Ussop were ready to join in except they all heard the loud and clear reply from the cook.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

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 **P.S.:** In case you're wondering about Hiniku's accent I mentioned earlier in the chapter, I envisioned it to sound exactly like Salma Hayek but slightly deeper.

 **P.P.S.:** Not all of the 100,000 men are lined up on the ship, only a few dozen of them; the rest are scattered about doing other stuff. In case that wasn't clear.


	3. End it Tonight

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** Wow, got a long one folks! Story building is hard and idk if it's just me but I might sound a little repetitive. Tell me what you all think and enjoy!

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

 **Chapter Two:**

 _It was the stench of violent intent that caught his senses first, but his observation haki also managed to sense the upcoming attack coming from his left. It was easy enough to dodge but Sanji wasn't going to congratulate himself just yet. Not when those eyes have zeroed in him. Blue eyes. Not that Sanji could see them; they were hidden away behind those ridiculous and unnecessary shades._

 _"I found you." His voice was smooth and dark, a deceiving inflection._

 _"I wasn't hiding."_

 _A sickening grin cracked his face. Such a familiar expression and against his will, a hoard of unwanted memories flooded his mind. All the times that grin revealed itself it was right before a devastating blow would land on his body. Sanji predicted the same result now, but no movement was made. Tension coiled in his gut. He tried to relax but all he could wonder was why he wasn't moving!_

 _"Tell me, Brother, how do you think this will end for you?"_

 _Sanji tried his hand at his own grin but it felt wrong on his face. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but his brother usurped his confidence. "Can't say for sure about the details but I'm sure it's with me leaving you here. For good."_

 _Ichiji shook his head and 'tsked' in disappointment. "You're wrong," he corrected. "It ends with you being left alone."_

 _0101010101010101010101010101010_

The sound of sizzling oil popping on the skillet returned him to the present. He hadn't even been aware that he 'left'. That was a first for him; Sanji never zoned out in the middle of cooking, even if it was the most common recipe known to man. _Then again, the thought of that fool wasn't so common_. Now that he remembered, Hiniku had said that Ichiji wasn't dead, so where was he then? He'd hate to assume that his brother was left alive on the lands of Wano, recuperating, since that would inevitably mean that he'd see him again. Ichiji was the type to hunt for his kills thoroughly.

The oil popped again and Sanji gently placed a large slab of sea king, gaining a small sense of enjoyment from the loud sizzling. It echoed throughout, reminding Sanji that the kitchen was empty. His arms ached every time he moved them over the stove, even worse when he tried cutting the ingredients at his typical pace, but he was hindered and had to unwillingly slow down. Chopper had warned him to rest a bit more and to let Robin and Nami take care of dinner (as they have been during his 8-day coma and today during breakfast and lunch) but he was itching to return to normalcy. He had hoped that upon his awakening, everyone would immediately pack up their things and move to the next island and rid themselves of the recent war. Considering who they wound up taking down, Sanji should have figured that they wouldn't be so lucky. _Kaido_. Jesus, they actually managed to take down that sonovabitch and lived to tell about it! Sanji was told how there were reprints of their wanted posters with even higher bounties but he had yet to look at them. In fact, he hadn't been anywhere except for the room he woke up in, the bathroom, and his kitchen.

He dreaded it, but he knew that eventually—and soon—he'd have to venture out and go back onto the Germa ship to do more than just sleep. Perhaps he could visit Carrot since he had heard Carrot was another one on the severe list and if anything, he wanted to ensure her health. Although, what had surprised him most were the two names dropped earlier in conversation before everyone dispersed from the kitchen: Kidd and Killer. They too were on one of the Germa ships, recovering from their current wounds. It felt surreal to think that three-fourths out of the eleven supernovas were all huddled together and yet only some were allies. Now the question was, where would everyone go from here? Surely with one of the most powerful yonkos down for the count, the power hierarchy around the world would shift, similar to that of Whitebeard's death. _WAIT!_ Would this mean that Luffy now had dibs on Kaido's territories?! _Holy shit, Luffy is really doing it…_

"Doing what?"

Sanji jumped, startled to hear a voice across the room that sounded as if it were right at his ear. He looked around and noticed he was sitting on a stool by the kitchen bar with a plate in his hand across the occupied kitchen table filled with piles of food. Everyone was staring at him with curious eyes as they simultaneously stuffed their mouths. "What?"

"You said I was doing something," Luffy repeated. There was some type of unreadable smile on Luffy's face that caught Sanji's curiosity. It was very innocent but there was something else mixed in there that Sanji just wasn't sure of, but he knew it was nothing harmful.

Remembering what Luffy had asked however had Sanji blushing. "Uh, forget it, did I cook all of this?" Sanji tried, changing the subject.

Then smiles then all shifted into worrying frowns. _Shit_. "And served us too. Why? Are you having trouble remembering, Sanji?" Chopper shot off.

"No, no I'm fine—"

"What was the main course that you served, Sanji?" Chopper demanded.

Sanji was surprised by the sudden test thrown at him. Now the kitchen was quiet as they all stared at him with freaking pity and worry, neither of which he wanted. "Chopper," he warned.

And just like that, the determined little doctor turned into a furry little kid with concern etched heavily onto his face. "Sanji, please. Head injuries of any kind are serious and you already can't remember your latest fight."

Sanji gritted his teeth, feeling the frustration scape at the edges of his self-control. He really disliked being weakened like this. And just when he was about to give in and admit that he had been time-skipping without his knowledge, he saw a fluttering piece of paper floating all the way in the back of the room. It silently hung there so Sanji got the feeling that no one else knew it was there. In thick black ink, Sanji read: _Blanquette de Veau_. Automatically, Sanji voiced the answer out loud but kept his eyes on Chopper to keep suspicion on the low. Still, Chopper wiggled his nose in doubt, but Sanji answered correctly so it wasn't like he could argue.

"Okay, but if you _do_ feel weird, like nausea, headaches—"

"I promise you'll be the first to know. Now I need to clean up—"

"No, Sanji, you already cooked three feasts' worth of food. You should listen to Chopper and rest, we'll take care of the rest," Nami spoke up.

"But—" One glare from Nami ended the argument. With a heavy sigh, Sanji reluctantly finished off his plate and readied himself to leave.

"Your Highness, would you wish me to draw you a bath or are you ready for bed?"

 _I was right by the door. Just another second and I would have managed to leave with SOME dignity!_ Sanji's face reddened so quickly that Chopper was at the ready to give medical attention if needed. Instead, he heard a scoff and a snigger and he knew exactly who they were from.

"Really, Cook? Ay girl, he might also need his dick held when he has to piss," Zoro joked.

"Shut the fuck up, Shitty Swordaman! Hiniku," he hissed with what he hoped was a vat of venom. "I told you enough with the titles!"

"Ah, I _think_ I remember that conversation," she said as she conspicuously grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her mouth. She then opened it and Sanji had to reign in another blush when he saw _Blanquette de Veau_ written on it. She was _blackmailing him_! How was no one seeing this?! "But I also remember telling you that a mere peasant being such as myself had no right to address you as anything less."

"You said no such thing!" LIAR!

"What would you prefer to be called then, Your Highness?"

"My given name!" Sanji shouted, ready to blow a blood vessel.

Hiniku "innocently" curled her face into one of confusion, even going as far to tilt her head like some puppy. "But you said you didn't want to be associated with that name."

"My _PIRATE_ name, goddamn you!"

"Of course, Your H—excuse me, I mean, Sanji-sama. However, if you have such preferences, you should make it a habit of speaking out loud more often. With saying nothing, no one will know what you mean…."

For the first time in history, Sanji was going to _kill_ someone in cold blood. He settled for the violent imagery dancing in his head. "I'm going to bed," he mumbled hastily before quickly racing out the door. He knew Hiniku would follow suit which was exactly as he wanted. When he heard the door opening and closing behind him, he quickly snatched Hiniku's arm and dragged her to one of the dark corners of the ship where he could level a blazing gaze at her.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Assisting you to your quarters, Sanji-sama."

"Stop playing bullshit, _what_ the fuck are you doing threatening me?!"

"Threaten? I threatened you?"

"With the shitty napkin. What, you're gonna rat me out if I don't play your games?"

The red-brown eyes that he has only known for a short time (in the forms of sarcasm, battle, and protectiveness) were now softened and subdued. They weren't pitying him or looking overly concerned or judging him. They simply were and that helped mollify Sanji's unpredictable ire.

"This isn't a time for playing games, so I'm not playing any."

Yet Sanji couldn't help the skepticism and narrowed his eyes. "You're planning something; what's your end game out of all of this?"

"If you distrust me that much, then kick me off the ship but I think we both know there's no point."

"That still doesn't answer the question," Sanji pressed again.

Hiniku opened her mouth a couple times, trying to find the right words to use. Finally, she stared directly into his eyes that seemed to beg for some kind understanding. "It's not that different from what you want. I'm just going a different way about it."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I cannot explain it all now because it's much too early and I could easily jinx myself. What I can say for sure and for as many times as you wish, Sanji-sama, is that I do not wish to inflict any harm on either your or your crew."

The certainty in her voice and the unwavering eye-contact convinced him enough to heavily sigh and nod. "Then ground rules then; even if whatever you're planning is harmless, I still want to kept on 'the know' to some extent and be the first to know when you are ready to talk. Also, keep your shenanigans to a minimum in front of the crew."

"With all due respect, Sanji-sama, I only helped out in there because you refused to tell your crewmates the truth about your memory loss."

"Not that!" Sanji exclaimed with a wild blush rising again. Seriously, he never found himself blushing so often until he met Hiniku. "I meant with the…offering to start my baths and make my bed."

Hiniku looked a little surprised that that had been the real issue and made her confusion apparent. "Was that it? What's wrong with me offering my services to you in front of your crew?"

Again, another blush. "Please don't say 'offer services' and 'me' in the same sentence. Anyway, it's embarrassing and I can do those things on my own. I have for a long _long_ time now."

"Perhaps but I—ah, I understand. I suppose I can "reduce" me actions," she said in quotations with reluctance. She genuinely seemed to like helping him and Sanji for some reason, found that amusing and endearing.

"Well, I am heading off to bed so I don't see the harm in helping me?"

And slightly, Hiniku's expression lightened.

~*BREAK*~

Sanji had assumed that since he woke up, he got to grab his things and return to the 'Men's Quarters' on the Sunny…but apparently no. No, he was told that he was still recovering, that he needed privacy, and that UNBENONST to _him_ , his bed had been taken. Fucking. Taken. Well, the term used was _borrowed_. Fucking. Borrowed.

Story goes, after the war, the injured were immediately taken care of. After several days of operations and emergency transfusions, finally the calm settled and the two head doctors needed to take a long break. Thus, Usopp and Franky took responsibility for their doctor and made him a new bed to ensure his rest and coddled him a bit as a means of thanks for what he's done. Ah, but _Law_ was a different story. He had to play the modest man and claim that he was just his doing job, because you know, wars against yonkos were common. The Heart Pirates tried convincing their captain to at least take rest in their submarine ship but he kept declining, claiming that anyone, particularly _Blackleg-ya_ could turn for the worse! So Zoro, FUCKING ZORO offered up Sanji's bed (since it was next to his) so that if things did turn ugly, Law could react in time. What a beautiful excuse and no one would be wiser.

The news of this nearly had Sanji hyperventilating. Now he had to walk back onto that ship that he had been dreading to even look at for the past few hours. All Hiniku understood was that Sani was acting moody again so she said nothing as she patiently stood next to him. She could see the poor boy had a ton of turmoil to sift through and she couldn't begrudge him that. Especially after telling him about how his own bed was unavailable because someone else was using it. The look on Sani's face made her wish she could grant him wishes to right the wrongs. But after a minute of just standing there, she knew she had to do something before someone caught them and asked what was wrong. If anything, that was the very last question Sanji wanted to answer right now.

"Sanji-sama," she started softly. "We should move before your crew find you standing here."

The reminder had Sanji shuddering in pre-embarrassment. "Right."

Slowly, they crossed the little bridge that connected the two ships, but instead of walking onto beautifully watered grass or onto freshly waxed wood flooring, Sanji's feet were clacking against metal. A little thud that seem to echo all throughout the ship as if emphasizing how lifeless the ship was. He wanted to just quickly find his room before his eyes could become adjusted to the dull colors but from the corner of eye, he caught movement. He turned his head to better look and saw the same group of men earlier moving in unison to some choreographed technique. _It's late at night; what the hell are they doing?_ Hiniku, who was standing ahead of him by a couple inches could no longer hear Sani behind her and when she turned, she saw him heading in the opposite direction.

"Sanji-sama?" He did not hear her. So she followed him instead, curious as to what he was thinking. She saw him lessen the distance between himself and the group, however, just as she thought he was going to disrupt in some way, he simply stopped and watched.

Sanji made no move to interrupt because he didn't want to ruin the concentration each soldier currently possessed. They were all focused and moving with precision, dancing with invisible enemies that seemed to possess their own dance. Shadow-fighting was always intriguing for Sanji because he was never good at it, at least not physically. Whenever he tried as a child, he'd always be scolded because he'd look like he was just goofing off. Truth was, he just wasn't very imaginative with his enemies. He could never picture a face or body type and he was even worse in predicting how'd they move. When his father caught wind of this, he stepped in to 'help' and decided to paint Sanji an enemy. He gave descriptions so grim and graphic that it was a wonder how Sanji could ever talk to other humans in a normal fashion. Instead of dodging the silhouetted blow that was aiming for his head, Sanji yelped and cowered. He was left trembling. That of course didn't end well for him and he was punished for being useless and weak. Hence why Sanji never tried to pre-predict his enemies whenever he met them; he liked analyzing them. Picking them apart and memorizing their detail to better aim when he was finally ready to strike.

Suddenly, Sanji was aware of the silence surrounding him and learned that the soldiers caught on to his presence. They all committed to staring at him and surprise surprise ( _Jesus_ ), Sanji blushed. "Uh…."

Then they all bowed and when they all raised themselves, they shouted "Your Highness!"

"Uh, um, no need…for that." Sanji awkwardly cleared his throat. "Didn't mean to interrupt. Carry on or um, you know, pretend I'm not here."

The men remained still at first but then moved to resume their training.

"Actually, I'm sorry, but what are you guys doing training at this hour?"

The men were idle which did annoy Sanji at first but then he realized that he asked the question but didn't direct it at someone. These were soldiers— _very_ well trained soldiers—so they didn't move or blink unless ordered. Instead, Sanji pointed at someone at random and gestured for him to speak. Still the silence continued and Sanji was getting a headache just trying to figure out hierarchy charades! When he asked for the soldier's name, he respectfully stood forward and bowed.

"Paysan, Your Highness. Our regime requires for us to continue training after our last meal."

"Till what time?"

"Midnight, Your Highness."

 _Another two hours to go_. "Sorry for my ignorance, but what time does training normally start?"

"0500 sharp, Your Highness."

"Before or after a morning meal?"

"After, Your Highness."

 _Fucking hell._ His father was never a lenient man. So that meant that the men here woke up at around 4 or 4:30 to eat and shower, trained until the afternoon for another meal, trained again until dinner and then trained until midnight. Nothing was proportionate and even though these men were strong and responsive now, they only had a matter of time before the negative effects were to kick in. They were like an army of Zoros' before Sanji balanced his diet. Speaking of which….

"What do your meals usually include and how much?"

Paysan, a rather short soldier with a pale complexion, seemed confused by the line of questions. Sanji wasn't all too surprised by that. Diet and nutrition weren't important topics discussed. Still, he answered truthfully and completely. "Morning meals are oatmeal, fruit, and milk. Mid-meals are bread, sea-king stew, and milk. Last meals are bread, fish soup, and milk. I'm uncertain how to measure the portions, Your Highness."

First off, Sanji had to stave off the urge to gag. _Fish soup and milk?!_ "Would you say like a handful," gesturing to one closed fist. "or bigger than this?"

Paysan closely looked at Sanji's fist and seemed even more flustered. It was almost like he was hesitant to answer, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"It's alright," Sanji assured. "There's no right or wrong answer. I just like to understand these things as best as possible, so to the best of your ability, how big would you say the portions are?"

Sanji again gestured to his closed fist and waited for Paysan to reply. He still seemed hesitant but at least now he was closely studying Sanji's fist and thinking his answer over.

"Sm-Smaller, Your Highness," he finally replied.

"Smaller?"

"Than your hand, Your Highness."

Sanji's eyes widened and slowly, dread was pooling at the pit of his stomach. "And what time do you have your last meals?" He pushed through gritted teeth.

His ire hadn't gone unnoticed by the Paysan or the other soldiers; they could only assume the ire was directed at them and their stupidity. They worried that they crossed the line and now became rigid with their posture. However, Paysan was still responsible for answering his prince.

"1630 sharp, Your Highness," he said with a hint of uneasiness.

" _Are you fucking kidding me!?_ " Sanji shouted. The men straightened their posture until they were pin straight and looking forward at nothing, anticipating their awaiting punishment.

"Sanji-sama, what's wrong?" Hiniku asked, also seeming as confused as the soldiers felt.

"Wh-What's wrong!? Did you not just hear that? We were just a couple yards away stuffing our faces and they're over here starving!"

"But this has always been the food regiment for the soldiers. Had it changed from when you last lived on this ship?"

Truthfully, Sanji couldn't remember much about interacting with the soldiers or what they were occupied with. It wasn't that he didn't care but more that his mind was focused on how not to get beat-up by his older and younger siblings. How not to find a new way to disappoint his father. Yet this whole time, as he wallowed in his self-pity, the men and women that served his families for _years_ , living right beside them, were being fed scraps. Even Hiniku, the one soldier who defied the status quo in more ways than one, found this maltreatment normal. Sanji's headache ached three-fold.

"It doesn't matter if it's changed or not, the point is that they are working out more than their intaking—there's no balance. Not to mention that they don't even get enough sleep!" Sanji huffed and tracked his fingers through his hair, giving it a little tug to bring him down to reality since his sanity was slipping away the more he remained awake.

He turned his gaze back the soldiers and noticed their inflexible body language. He put two-and-two together when Paysan looked down to the ground in shame. "Listen here, I'm not mad at you guys and I'm sorry for that misunderstanding. Although, this 'training all day but eat little food' nonsense is gonna stop right now. So here's what we're gonna do. All of you are gonna head on to the showers and squeaky clean yourselves until you smell presentable. _Then_ we're gonna reconvene in the kitchen where a proper meal will be waiting for you."

"You're going to cook now?" Hiniku asked, shocked with saucer plate-sized eyes.

"Damn right I am!"

"B-But, Sanji-sama, the hour is—"

"Your Highness, if I may," Paysan boldly interrupted. "Your Grace has trained us rigorously to withstand these conditions in order to best protect him and his family. Our purpose is to keep protecting you, Your Highness. These conditions are acceptable in order to keep that promise."

Except Sanji wasn't having it. "That's not training, that's brainwashing. Trust me, bastard got the science of it down pat. And don't call that fat-fuck, _Your Grace_ , 'cause there was nothing graceful or royal about him. He, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, and those before him were all retards and I'm sorry that you had to follow them, be brainwashed by them in order to live. That shit ends tonight, by the way. Tonight is the last night Germa 66 will exi—"

"Sanji-sama!" Hiniku hissed, suddenly in his face, startling him.

"What?" He whispered.

"You shouldn't say such things just yet. It's only been a say since you've woken up."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"They don't know you; all they know is Germa 66. If you tell them that the thing they were born into and raised under their whole lives is disappearing tonight, how do you expect them to react? They need time before they can erase that part of their lives."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"Just give them time to get used to you. Be your natural self."

"Oh sure, that'll charm them." The joke had managed to make them both smile though. A small victory.

"Well you heard him, get to showering and meet us in the kitchen!" Hiniku ordered the men.

"Oh! And if there's anyone else on the ship that is awake and wants something to eat, let them know," Sanji added.

The men nodded and then scrambled to the bathroom, looking like children racing to see who gets their chores done the fastest. Even slave-born soldiers could be clumsy and amusing. Now Sanji was even more motivated to make the best goddamn meal they've ever tasted.

"Right, that kitchen better be goddamn stocked or I'm aiming a fire-laced foot up that deadbeat's ass," Sanji threatened. As he marched towards the kitchens, he neglected to see Hiniku's wince.

~*BREAK*~

God, he cooked so much and despite the fatigue and pain coursing through his arms, it felt great. The soldiers were bewildered! Aside from the times a few of them glanced at Judge's table, none of them had ever seen so much color, smelled so many intoxicating things at once, tasted so much heaven. Paysan, for instance, cried after his second meal and cared very little that he'd done so. He always thought so little of himself but to have the privilege to taste _this_ by the hands of his prince, well, it was overwhelming. He wasn't the only one either. So many of them moaned in ecstasy while others actually prayed over their meals, believing that only a god could send an angel like Sanji-sama with a pair of those hands.

By the time the meal was done, there was nothing left, not even crumbs (which is how Sanji likes to find it) but it left their prince _tired_. Hiniku assumed the cooking would have perked him up but he looked more haggard then earlier. What alarmed her more was when it was time to clean, she thought he'd argue and try to help anyway but no fight was put up. He simply nodded and slumped against the table, waiting until she was done with her share of the cleaning. Barely a minute had passed before soft snores could be heard. It would have been easy enough to pick him up and carry him to his chambers, but what the hell. She'd do him a favor. So she marched her way back to the Sunny and saw that almost everyone had still been up. They were probably making rounds and checking on the injured.

Chopper saw her first. "Hey Hiniku-san, is Sanji okay?"

"Mmhmm, just tired. May I ask where your captain is?"

"Ah, Luffy? He's in the sick bay with Torao looking over Carrot. I was just about to join them."

"Carrot-san is here? I thought she was on the other ship?"

"She was but she's recuperated well enough and seemingly keeps demanding to see Sanji. She's taken a liking to him."

"Hmm, many have I see."

Chopper gave a sly smirk. "You too?"

Hiniku scoffed. Poor little racoon-dog, he completely misunderstood but it was adorable to see how mischievous he thought he was being. "He's my prince but not my charming."

"Huh?"

"The sick bay, Chopper-san," she reminded him.

After a few giggled, Chopper lead the way. Sure enough, Luffy and Law were accompanying Carrot in the sick bay, listening as she rambled about carrots and Sanji.

"Look who's back!" Chopper announced.

Luffy, at seeing Hiniku, assumed the worse and frowned. "What's wrong with Sanji?"

"No worries, he's fine, although very fatigued. I was hoping to have a word with you?"

"Okay. Be back you guys!"

"Are you going to see Sanji?! Take me with you!" Carrot demanded, pouting with her arms crossed.

"Carrot! You gotta rest!" Chopper shouted.

For convenience sake, Hiniku closed the sick bay's door and faced Luffy with a smile. "It's about Sanji," she started.

"I thought you said he was fine."

"He is, but back on the Germa ship, he noticed that the men aboard the ship were malnourished and over-exerted himself feeding all of them. I know this sounds silly but I have to make my own rounds around the ship and the other Germa ships and was wondering if you'd be so kind as to take him to bed. Perhaps even watch over him. Only if you want to of—"

"Where is he?"

"Where else? The kitchen," she replied with a hearty chuckle.

Luffy smiled himself and headed straight for the main Germa ship. Hiniku didn't know if he was following his nose or what but it was as if he knew exactly where the kitchen was and found Sanji. The idiot was still slumped over the table, snoring away without a care in the world. Without another word, Hiniku stepped out and rubbed her hands wickedly, a childish grin on her face. As for Luffy, it bothered him greatly to find Sanji looking so lifeless. If it weren't for the snores, he'd think the worse. He already saw a bloodier and similar sight before and didn't want his mind venturing down that path. He settled for gently reaching around Sanji until he was positioned—exactly like a bride—in his arms. Sanji snorted a little but once he seated his head securely on Luffy's shoulder, his face cuddled snugly into his neck, he continued snoring. The abrupt feeling of hot breath on his neck caused several slivers to course through his body, forcing him to take a moment before moving.

Sanji wasn't heavy by any means but Luffy was aware of his weight. It settled quite comfortably in his palms and against his own body. It wasn't like the many times he's carried Nami or Robin yet it didn't feel similar to when he's had to carry Usopp…it was like Sanji was more of an extension. A pleasant extension. But it wouldn't be pleasant anymore if he continued to stand there when Sanji clearly needed some bed rest. Luffy had remembered where Sanji's room was located due to the ridiculous number of times he'd visit during his coma days. Chopper and Torao would get upset but at the same time, they let a lot of his actions slide when they saw how desperate Luffy had become, waiting to hear the good news on the cook. The eight days had been long.

Finally, Luffy made it into Sanji's room and gently placed him on the bed. The clothes that Sanji was wearing didn't seem that constricting so he left them be, but he was sure Sanji would be upset if he woke up and learned that he slept in his shoes. As gently as he could, he removed the thick footwear and placed them by the bed. When he established that Sanji was all tucked in, he made to leave except a soft whine had caught his attention.

"Sanji?" He whispered. Taking a look, he saw Sanji's eyes were a crack opened and he had been shivering. "Are you alright?"

"C-Cold," was all he responded with. Luffy wanted to look for more blankets, remembering that Sanji wasn't one who fared well in chilly or cold temperatures. However, a pale hand shot out from under the blankets and caught the end of his vest.

"Shishishi, Sanji, I want a big meat breakfast."

"Just b-bring your ass over h-here before I f-freeze to death."

The malice behind his tone was pretty harmless considering how soft and gentle his voice sounded as he tried not to clack his teeth together. It honestly didn't feel that cold, but Luffy wasn't going to be one to argue. He was even debating on bargaining for a special breakfast in return for sharing his body heat, but when he slid himself under the covers and curled around Sanji, letting Sanji curl around him, the urge to negotiate was gone. Sanji was probably gonna make him a meaty breakfast anyway so there was no need to ask. And plus, the pleasant weight was back.


	4. Doctors v Chef

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** Hey guys. Here's an update finally! There's another AN note below at the end of the chapter but it's too spoiler-y so I didn't add it on here. Also, be warned about some OOC-ness. This chapter is also just a long transitional piece—it was a pretty big pain in the ass to write. Anyway, enjoy this new chap and give some feedback :).

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

~* _Page Break_ *~

 **Chapter Three:**

 _Breathing properly was beginning to become a chore. Sanji was trying his best to calm it but at the same time, he feared that if he lost focus for even one second, he'd lose sight of Ichiji. The man was arrogantly standing before him without a hair or article of clothing out of place. He was taunting him, gauging him to see how he ticked and it absolutely IRRITATED Sanji how for once, he couldn't hold a poker face. Although, it wasn't all that much of a surprise, much to Sanji's dismay. Aside from the memories from when they were young siblings, Sanji made sure to never mess with his eldest brother too often. Reiju, Niji, and Yonji were different because in some sense, they were predictable. Since he confirmed how little they've changed, he knew their reactions by heart, no matter the scenario. But Ichiji could not be easily boxed in like them. The bastard, despite having very little facial expressions in his repertoire, could not be easily understood._

 _"You're clearly thinking too much," he sang darkly. The sadistic grin never leaving his face._

 _Sanji refused to reply, not wanting to give Ichiji the satisfaction but even worse, Sanji just didn't have a retort. Breathing the same air as him disabled him of coming up with a proper comeback. At least that's what Sanji told himself to soothe his pride better; the last thing he'd be damned to ever admit was how stupid Ichiji could make him feel._

 _"If this is too much for you then we should stop now. No need to sully my hands with your blood."_

 _This only made Sanji glare harder. "Stop. Talking," he spat._

 _"You could make me," Ichiji challenged. "Or you could_ try _. Either way, just watching you stand there irks me."_

 _An unpleasant feeling began crawling under his skin. However, it was a familiar feeling, one that Sanji felt when he determined…that this may be the last time. His last meal. Using the very few seconds he had before bracing for an attack, Sanji puffed a cigarette until it was just a little stub burning out. "Then let's get this over with," he uttered with finality._

Sanji woke to the feeling of his teeth accidentally biting down—hard—into his tongue, deep enough to taste copper. As for why he would stupidly bite into his own tongue, he found himself feeling _very_ cold and his teeth were chattering out of his control. He was curled into himself and yet he felt no heat, as if his body could no longer naturally produce the temperature. Forcing his eyes to open, Sanji could make out that he was in bed in the Germa ship but he could also make out who the dark-haired, brown-skinned boy was lying next to him. _What the hell was Luffy doing here?_ Thinking on it, Sanji could sort of recall someone being kind enough to carry him to bed and hearing a distinctive laugh before drifting off to sleep. If circumstances were kinder, Sanji would gladly thank Luffy for helping him into bed—although that does make him question where Hiniku was—but as it were, he couldn't even attempt to voice his gratitude. In fact, he continued to shake so violently that by some miracle, Luffy stirred awake.

"Mmm, Sanji?" He grumbled as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Lu…..ffy….Chop….," was all he could manage. Noticing Sanji's odd speech, Luffy opened his eyes and immediately they shifted into ones of horror.

"What happened!? Chopper!" What Sanji hadn't noticed in his state was the blood soaking into the mattress from his arms. The amount looked startling which set Luffy to think the absolute worse; his chef was dying. His chef was trembling. "Let me go get Chopper! Hold on, Sanji!"

Like the god of speed and light, Luffy sped off to do just that. Sanji knew Luffy running to get a doctor was logical, yet he still couldn't reign in the disappointing feeling of loneliness and emptiness. It wasn't as if Luffy wouldn't return but still, noticing how alone he was in the room and the silence that echoed throughout, Sanji only felt despair. _Why the fuck am I acting so emotional?_ It disturbed him how distraught he felt; it wasn't as if Luffy was to blame and as for being alone, wasn't he used to it by this point? Except for sleeping with the rest of his male crewmates, he was always alone in the kitchen, always alone when cleaning, mostly alone when shopping for supplies (especially when its minor things needed)—and that's while he's on an intimate ship with eight other people. Sanji was alone before them too; after obtaining the necessary training capabilities to cook from the Old Geezer, Sanji was left to his own devices for the most part. Even when the restaurant was packed, Sanji was left alone to wash the _hundreds_ of dishes by himself, to restock the pantry by himself, and to clean the dining room by himself. No fault of Zeff of course because he knew Zeff was dealing with a bunch of other shit at the same time, especially when the restaurant had just opened. Zeff wanted him in top shape before he could be physically trained. But even before _that_ , Sanji was definitely by himself with his family. Considering he was the black sheep (as Yonji so kindly liked to remind him), he found himself alone all the goddamn time. Alone to study, alone to train, alone to suffer in that stupid cell for six months! Yeah, just what the fuck was he whining about? He survived all through that—by himself for the most part—so he could handle some loneliness now.

Except when Luffy, Chopper, Law, and Hiniku busted through the door, a relieved sigh passed through Sanji's lips. He may have experienced loneliness but he sure as hell wasn't used to it. Briefly and unintentionally, Sanji questioned how Brook managed such a state for 50 years…. He'd have to remember to make something homely for Brook the next chance he had because…fuck.

"Oh, Sanji," a squeaky voice breathed. Sanji was expecting some loud scolding and reprimand for his carelessness but none of that came. Instead, Chopper gently hopped on the bed and examined Sanji's arms. "What happened?"

"He looks to be running a fever again, Tony-ya." That deep voice Sanji recognized well. For the state he was in, Sanji couldn't help but find it soothing; a calm silky tone that warmed the violent chills running through his body.

"He is and I think it's worse than last time. I knew he was overworking himself!"

"I….rig….here," Sanji growled though chattering teeth. He hated how they spoke as if he weren't even in the room.

At that, Chopper did look a little guilty but Sanji couldn't be sure of Law's expression. If he was upset it was probably at the fact that Sanji was keeping him away from the others. "Sanji," Chopper started softly. "We're gonna move you okay? And check your arms."

What Sanji had expected was either the feel of furry hands gently wrapping around him to lift him or the long appendages of heated hands that only a doctor could possess, except, what he hadn't expected was the feel of large, _hot_ , calloused hands tightly holding him.

"I'll carry him," Luffy volunteered.

And Sanji should have been embarrassed, pissed that he was so weak that even his captain had to intervene, but in actuality, he felt safe. Luffy's rough arms clutching him as if trying to anchor him to the ground comforted Sanji better than he thought. So as opposed to resisting it, he allowed himself to relax within Luffy's hold, leeching off his heat while he was at it because that was just the kind of monster he was; a leech that could only take.

Sanji was relocated to another bed across the room since this was more of an infirmary than a room. Luffy attempted to set him down but Sanji clutched with the force of a maniac and refused to let go. Even worse, he wasn't even sure if he whimpered out loud, but he must have because Luffy relented quickly thereafter and remained holding onto Sanji. His patience and kindness only seemed to weaken Sanji's self-esteem further.

"How bad is it?" He heard through Luffy's chest. Sanji was confused at first, not sure what Luffy was referring to—maybe because of his swimming head or aching arms—but quickly learned that the question was aimed towards Law and Chopper.

"I think it looks worse than it is. The blood hasn't seeped into the mattress so that means most of it only stained the sheets. Maybe Sanji was moving around too much while sleeping and the friction caused the bleeding."

Luffy frowned. "Sanji didn't move. He kept still the whole time." Then, Sanji couldn't hear anything. Silence? Perhaps he was dozing off again—was what he thought until Law's voice rumbled through.

"Were you sleeping in the bed with Blackleg-ya?"

"Yeah! He was cold." Luffy replied innocently enough.

"….Is that common?"

"What?"

"Sleeping with your crewmates."

"No? But sometimes me and Usopp end up mixed up but that's 'cause he moves around a lot."

"Nu-uh, Luffy, that's you!" Chopper corrected. "Ah, maybe you moved around and accidentally hit Sanji?"

Against his ear, Sanji could hear Luffy intaking a deep breath. He wasn't sure if Luffy was going to protest, but in the case that he wasn't, Sanji had him covered because without it meaning to come out so loud, he growled a loud NO WAY, shutting up everyone in the room. Thank goodness no females were in the room…well maybe except Hiniku but she was an exception. Speaking of which, why the hell was she being so quiet?

"S-Sanji?"

Feeling much warmer thanks to Luffy, Sanji knew he could speak better but his voice didn't possess its usual sternness and volume. "Luffy didn't do anything."

And then the silence reigned again.

"Tony-ya, we should take a look at Blackleg-ya's arms," Law quietly suggested.

"Un!" Chopper agreed. Although, Chopper still attentively approached, worried that through unpremeditated actions, he'd set Sanji off. However, Sanji remained calm even after Chopper ran his hooves gently over his bloody bandages. What he didn't notice were the small scissors intended for cutting the bandages off and although Sanji wasn't scared in the slightest, he did begin to feel a little uneasy. The scissors hadn't even touched his skin yet it pricked as if it were about to poke him any second. Sanji then felt Luffy's arms tighten around him, securing him in place as Chopper moved about. Although it was a little hard from his position, Sanji glanced at Luffy and noticed the forced calm composure on his face.

Suddenly, "Chopper-san, would it be quicker if I helped?"

Chopper instantly stopped the movement of his hooves and moved the scissors out of the way before looking towards Hiniku. At first, his brows were furrowed in confusion but then a smile broke free in some kind of understanding. "Why didn't I think of that before?! Yes, Hiniku-san, please go ahead."

When Hiniku approached, Sanji instantly flinched but not from fear, caution, or anxiousness. No, he flinched because he could fucking _taste_ her amusement as she closed in on him. "Your Highness," she said sagely.

"Don't call me that," he tried snarling at her.

"Ah, forgive me for forgetting. _Sanji-sama_ , you seem…well."

"Enough of your jokes and get on with it!"

A low chuckle was heard rumbling from her. "As you wish." Her fingers hovered over his hands, inching closer until he could faintly feel them tickling the peach fuzz. He wanted to squirm from the teasing but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction. Her fingers finally reached up to the edge of the bandages and suddenly the entirety of the bandages and gauze ripped in half. The expansion of bruised and blackened skin was revealed as the bloody bandages danced gracefully to the floor. Her amusement died quickly after.

It didn't help that Luffy's hold was becoming impossibly tighter and Chopper's and Law's faces were grim. Sanji gambled a look at his arms, worried that they were somehow worse that the first time seeing them, but in all honesty, it didn't look too bad. It was surely gross, no doubt, but no worse than before. It was the aching that was getting to him. Like right under his skin, there was a burning, an itch that wouldn't go away.

Sanji assumed Chopper would get right on with the medical magic, but it was Law who flew to his side. Those dark orbs peered so closely at his arms with a frown that kept eroding the skin of his face. Law was already a chronic frowner so at this rate, he was permanently fucking up his face—not that Sanji was complaining. In fact, some little bubble of laughter was about to escape him at the thought of Law and Zoro frowning together. _Ah shit_. The laughter was gaining momentum. His shoulders were beginning to shake and his lips were quivering. He tried calming himself but the image kept popping into his head, animating itself as if forming actual memories. He imagined Law and Zoro preparing for a picture, frowning even though everyone would demand some smiles or some smirks at least. Finally, Sanji couldn't hold it; he guffawed a loud sound and then burst into a loud stream of belly-harming chuckles. The more he thought of it, the funnier it seemed to be. He must have looked like he was suffering from a mental breakdown because Law's face worsened—heightening his laughter—while everyone else looked alarmed. Then again, perhaps he was because why else would he suddenly find Law's facial expressions funny?

"Sanji, you okay?" It was Luffy who asked.

It took a couple tries and some tough bites to his bottom lip to help quell the laughs but Sanji finally managed to calm himself down and breathe. "Yeah, s-sorry about that."

And Law didn't seem to want to waste any chance that Sanji would fall for an actual breakdown because he wasted to no time examining Sanji's arms. His touches were gentle, almost feather light which did surprise Sanji, if he were being honest. _Well he is a doctor_. Sure, but he was also nicknamed the "Surgeon of Death" which by no means a light nickname. Sanji assumed he'd have cold hands or hands that were clammy with sweat that scented similarly to anesthetic. He assumed Law would hasty with his touches because Law wasn't a touchy person, in fact, he looked as if the human touch revolted him (not that he wouldn't be justified in believing so). No, Law was beyond calm and warm with how he cared for Sanji's arms. He touched his skin as if it were valuable pieces of art. The contrast to Law's appearance to his actions sobered Sanji's delirious mind and instead made him feel frustrated and envious. _Do you treat Zoro with as much affection?_

He hated that his mind wandered there but it couldn't be helped. He had to wonder how different was Law with Zoro. What did they talk about? _Swordmanship, obviously._ Yeah, but that couldn't be all of it. Did they talk about their favorites? Their annoyances? _Their future?_ No, they couldn't have a future because Law was a captain and Zoro was loyal to Luffy; separation was inevitable. Did that mean that what they had— _because they fucking had something_ —was just a fling? If memory served Sanji correctly, the unfortunate day he learned of their...whatever it was to be called, he felt it was pretty solid. The aura that bitch-slapped him in the face that day almost made him believe he impeded on a honeymoon ritual. A wave of nausea whirled dully at the base of this stomach. _Dangerous territory, Sanji. About face with those thoughts before they get worse._ The only available distraction was Law's examination of his arms; the man was on a mission if the look of determination was any indication.

Still, Sanji had to say something to silence the silence in the room. "So, am I dying, Doc?"

"Sanji!" and "Sanji-sama," were exclaimed at the same time by Chopper and Hiniku. Luffy wasn't entirely too happy with the word choice either since he huffing and tightening his arms. At this rate, Sanji wouldn't be able to breathe.

"You're not dying but I have to confess that I dislike the healing rate of your injuries. According to Tony-ya's notes of previous incidents, you have a fairly quick healing rate which does not coincide with this current find. Actually, it almost appears as if nothing's changed at all."

"So something's wrong then," Sanji concluded. "Guessing bacterial or viral?"

Law looked very surprised at the estimation. It almost made Sanji want to laugh again. "I did not know you were familiar with the medical field."

"Can't say that I am but what with being a chef and all, I'm pretty good with dealing with dead things—sometimes killing them, and if I want to make quality food then I have to make sure it's not spoiled."

Law nodded. "Very logical; Strawhat-ya is very lucky to have you on board."

And the pride practically beamed from Luffy's wide smile. The tension in his life-draining arms from holding Sanji nearly dissipated. "Shishishi damn right!"

What Sanji was thankful for was the fact that he could hold back the embarrassing blush trying to paint its way across his cheeks. It was the first one that he could finally control.

"Alright, so what's this mean now? Am I gonna be a chronic bleeder here?"

Both Law and Chopper frowned but it was Law that gave his arms another inspection. "Although I am unsure what the current issue is, I doubt this can continue forever. I will run more tests and ask that you perform minimal tasks if necessary."

"Yup, follow Torao's advice, Sanji. That means no cooking," Chopper added sternly.

"'No cooking' as in 'light cooking' or as in 'none at all?'"

"None at all!"

"Sorry Chopper but no can do—"

"Don't give me that, Sanji! Doctor's orders—from both of us! Bed rest, lots of rest!"

"And I'm telling you I can't—hold on before you keep yelling at me," Sanji warned, raising a hand to silence Chopper's readying protest. "I know I only woke up 24 hours ago but still, I neglected to even ask about the Germa ships and the occupants in them let alone investigate the current status about them. Last night I learned about the soldiers that reside on this main ship and…just don't even get me started; that's just _this_ ship. There's still the others to look into and I have to have a conversation with all of the cooks so that they can redo the soldiers' diet. Also—"

Chopper exhaled loudly. "Sanji, you can't do all of that in one day never mind right now. I hear what you're saying but you're over-working yourself. You can't help any of them if you're making yourself worse."

"Except I'm not _getting_ worse—you both even said it yourselves that the blood loss wasn't significant. I may not be healing fast enough—"

"Not at all!" Chopper corrected.

"But according to 'Death of Surgery' over there, nothing has changed at all so I can't be getting worse."

Sanji had to fight off a smirk when he heard Law quietly snort at the butchering of his nickname. "Surgeon of Death," he muttered.

"That doesn't mean you're fine, Sanji! You could in fact get worse if you aren't careful. Luffy! Please say something!"

All parties turned to Luffy; Chopper held a pleading expression that wordlessly screamed for support while Sanji held a calm expression. Inside, however, he was praying that Luffy wouldn't agree with Chopper and order him to bed rest. Meanwhile, Luffy huffed, almost appearing childlike in his frustration but he was captain after all so he had no choice but to play mediator. After some tense minutes (and grunting from Luffy thinking too hard), Luffy finally snapped his fingers as if he had an epiphany.

"Okay! Sanji, you can't cook—"

"Luffy!" Sanji screamed and with him forgetting that he was still practically on top of Luffy, he certainly gave him an earful. "What the fuck?!"

" _BUT_ you don't have to stay in bed all day. As long as me or Hinbaka are helping you, you can travel anywhere you want to talk to all of those chefs from the other ships! Ooh, think they can cook for the Sunny too?!"

"Um, it's Hiniku," she tried throwing in but was ignored for the main argument ensuing.

That wasn't unreasonable but Sanji wasn't entirely happy with the arrangement. Neither was Chopper apparently. "Luffy, Sanji needs rest! He shouldn't be moving around so much."

"Aw, c'mon Chopper. At least let him move around a bit and someone will be around to keep an eye on him."

"But Luffy—"

"Chopper," Luffy tried again. "Sanji's a chef. He can't be away from food too long 'cause that'll make him worse and unhappy. He needs to get better, right? Well what kind of captain am I to have my chef unhappy?"

Unfortunately, Sanji couldn't do much to stop _this_ blush from appearing. _His chef_ , he said. Granted, it wasn't the first time hearing Luffy make such declarations regarding members of his crew but to hear it so close to his ear just sent Sanji's blood racing to his cheeks. However, unlike the previous unwanted and embarrassed blushes, this one was almost pleasant.

"Okay, so we're all good? Good! Now let's go eat some meat breakfast and then Sanji can go fetch those other cooks!" Luffy's smile turned into a hearty chuckle as he hugged Sanji and raced to the door.

"Wait, at least let me wrap Sanji's arms."

"Oops, shishishishi."

~* _Page Break_ *~

 **P.S.** Sorry that Sanji is pretty OOC here but I based his behavior on the fact that (in canon) Sanji has never— _ever_ —been sick in his life. Not necessarily that he's sick now but he isn't entirely well either and there's a reason for it but that will be revealed later. Until then, because Sanji has never experienced common "illness", he's basically acting like a baby haha!

 **P.P.S.** Just to inform you all, there will be times when this story won't be updated for a bit because although I have a direction for this story, I also want it to be pretty close to the current canon material. So Sanji's flashbacks will be canon in this story but I will also do some reimagining on some other parts as well. Hope that's okay for you all.


	5. The Importance of a Name

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** Straight to the point, I wanted to let you readers know about the intro to this chap; first off, I want to hand out TRIGGER WARNINGS due to the implications but that also brings me to my second off; I DO NOT—I repeat, DO NOT—want to disrespect Oda's work in any way, shape, or fashion. One Piece has plenty of dark themes associated w/it but Oda tries his best to keep his work clean and many fans appreciate that—have appreciated it for almost 20 years. That being said, I know I have the tendency to add sexual-related material into my work (what can I say, it's my favorite territory to work in) and this work is no different, however, I do not wish to disappoint loyal OP fans by making this just another story that features the cliché 'hot sex' or 'terrorizing rape' scene. I LOVE Sanji and his character and want to write him as layered as Oda has (in a more R-rated realm).

So with that said, I want to pay respect to Oda and Sanji by assuring you guys that despite the implications, Sanji's integrity is intact. This story, without a doubt, includes angst and drama, but I will not stoop to ruining his pure innocence (b/c goddamn is he pure). Hope you guys understand and thanks so much for reading!

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

~* _Page Break_ *~

 **Chapter Four:**

 _"You were always useless. An unwanted burden cursed upon us. A bitch born from a whore." It was whispered haughtily into his ear. Ichiji had him pinned to the ground, a knee pressed hard into his right thigh, one hand wrapped around his two wrists as the other skims the right side of his ribs, and his entire weight is splayed atop him. Sanji couldn't breathe even as his tried arching his back to gasp for more air. He couldn't move as Ichiji outweighed him by quite a large margin. It was the first time that Sanji felt claustrophobic._

 _"Couldn't fight, couldn't swim, couldn't do anything worthwhile, could you? Just sucking on that whore's teat until you were plump with it, that's all you were good for."_

 _"That's your mother too, asshole!" Sanji snarled. All he could see was red, all he could hear was his blood solidifying into two fists that punched at his sanity. Bloodthirst was so vivid on Sanji's tongue, he could already taste the sheer desire to kill. It never presented to him, that urge, despite encountering some of the worst of enemies. But now, he was drooling with addiction. Killkillkillkillkillkillkillkill—_

 _"No, she was just a genetic donor."_

 _Killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill_

 _"You feel it, don't you?" Now Ichiji's voice was a syrupy mixture. The tone shift was so sudden that Sanji's clouded mind had managed to catch it. He wondered what Ichiji meant by that question. Perhaps Sanji was to be self-aware of his bloodthirst curdling in their intimate bubble surrounding them. Knowing Ichiji, he'd be proud of something like making Sanji realize how much of a monster he really was. Like them._

 _Except to Sanji's horror, he realized that it was not his provoked anger he was to be aware of; for some questionable reason. Ichiji, the eldest Vinsmoke of the quadruplets, was roughly—but slowly—circling his groin over Sanji's hip. The action left Sanji's mind blank, overly surprised, until the material of Ichiji's pants scraped harshly against his skin drawing out a wave of disgust and nausea._

 _"WHAT are you DOING?!" Sanji demanded so viciously that the growl of his words scratched the inside of his throat._

 _Ichiji said nothing as he put down even more weight. A sick grin upon his face before snaking his tongue out to wet his bottom lip. It was then that one word, just one word in large, bold print lit up at the front of Sanji's mind:_ _ **HUMILIATION**_ _. This bastard planned on stooping to whatever level he could land on to make Sanji's life a living hell. But Sanji would be damned if he'd let himself be used like this. He violently thrashed his body, unleashing a sound he hadn't known he was capable of making as he tried to throw Ichiji's weight off. Unluckily for Sanji, Ichiji tightened his grip both on his wrists and on his ribs._

 _"You don't stay still and you'll be returning to your captain in pieces," he said sternly. As he said it, the hand latched on to his ribs clenched until blood was spilling out._

 _~*Page Break*~_

It was as if he was bathing on the surface of the sun; a swirl of fire danced around him, beautifully encasing his senses in heat. Sanji loved heat—no, he _loved_ heat, so when he found himself enveloped from head to toe with it, he nearly sang in ecstasy. A surge of strength pulsed through his entire body…until it was zapped away the moment the fire dwindled. Not only had it left him cold, but Sanji felt tired and nauseous and achy; his arms were blaring with pain and stiffness. Giving his surroundings a bleary look around, he realized he was standing in his kitchen surrounded by cooks of all sizes and friends of all kinds. He then remembered that Luffy had ordered the cooks from all of the Germa ships to come on board and, well, cook. Sanji was forced to sit at the island and _not_ touch anything no matter how miniscule. The fire had come from the different cooks taking turns at the stove and being bewildered by the power it held. A smirk almost broke free from Sanji's lips; not many could handle Franky's inventions. But the smugness disappeared the moment Sanji recalled where his daydreaming had landed him.

"Excuse me," Sanji uttered quietly. Assuming that someone would question where he was going, he immediately followed with a sharp "bathroom." He looked at no one as he exited the kitchen. A bout of breezy wind swept through the Sunny's deck, playing with Sanji's hair as well. Sanji knew that if he felt healthier, he would have loved the feel of the breeze except now, he only felt shivers going up and down his spine. It almost made him want to turn around to re-seek some heat, except something was nagging Sanji's mind and he felt determined to get it out.

He wasted little time in hopping off the Sunny and into the Germa ship he had been residing in. He could hear a familiar sound not too far from the main deck he was standing in. Running, he quickly found the same group of soldiers from last night, training as if they never stopped in the first place.

"I thought I told you guys to cool the training."

The soldiers flinched in surprise but promptly collected themselves and stood at attention; arms behind their backs, shoulder to shoulder, feet parted to help widen their stance. Sanji couldn't help but smile even though he knew they were nervous of him out of fear.

"At ease, I'm just messing with you guys. Although I hope you _are_ taking it easy. Are you, Paysan?"

The little soldier stepped forward. "Y-Yes, Your Highness."

That reminded Sanji that he had to somehow gather everyone and tell them to get rid of the title. "Good, I wanted to tell you guys that Captain Luffy of the Strawhat Pirates has ordered the cooks of the Germa to stop by shortly to cook for all you guys on the Germa ships and I'll be supervising—prepare to be fed."

Paysan blushed like a little kid and Sani wasn't sure if it was because he was embarrassed or just shy. "You're much too kind, Your Highness."

"Not really, but anyway, since I have you here, I have some questions if you don't mind?"

"O-Of course not, Your Highness!"

"Great, but first things first, we're going to have to get rid of the whole 'Your Highness' thing. I'm just Sanji or Blackleg if that's more comfortable."

Paysan and the soldiers looks wary but they nodded, afraid of actually trying to voice his name. If he wasn't so understanding, Sanji would have rolled his eyes. A memory of little Sanji in a cramped room with a bunch of criminals—that later turned into senior cooks at the Baratie—and Zeff at the front of the room, yelling about how dumb they all were. It had been the first time Zeff, loudly and proudly, proclaimed that he was Sanji's parent but Sanji also knew that he was a close parental figure for a lot of the other guys too. Dear god, he was already turning into Zeff and he wasn't even 25 yet! But the thought comforted Sanji quite a bit and he liked that.

"Anyways, how many ships are stopped at this port?"

"Excluding the ships of your captain's and his peers, there are 50 Germa ships, Your High—I mean, Blackleg-sama," Paysan replied.

 _Fifty?!_ Sanji quickly did the math and his jaw almost hit the floor. "There are 2,000 men per ship!?"

"Ah, no, forgive me for not explaining! In total, there are 150 Germa ships that are under the Vinsmoke family but currently stationed at this port is 50, Your High—Blackleg-sama."

"Where are the other 100 ships?"

Sanji noticed how Paysan tensed and his eyes shifted nervously. "I-I can't say for sure, Your—Blackleg-sama." Sanji's keen senses told him that Paysan wasn't telling him something. Not necessarily a lie, but just something was missing from his statement.

"Right, so my memory is a little fuzzy but I know this isn't the main ship…"

"That is correct, Blackleg-sama. The main ship is close by, ported a little ways east from here closer to the shores of Wano."

 _Odd_. "If that's so then why are we stationed here and occupying this lower-level ship?" Not that there was anything wrong with this particular ship, but Sanji was becoming very suspicious of what was being withheld from him.

"I'm not sure of the specifics, Your—Blackleg-sama but Hiniku-sama did order us to keep distance from the main ship." _Hiniku ordered for the ship to be left alone? Why?_ Sanji knew he was scrunching his face in deep thought which prompted Paysan to nervously croak out. "Uh…"

"Yes?"

"Before…that is to say, while you were still… _unavailable_ , some of the soldiers stationed on the main ship were said to have voiced some concerns."

"Concerns regarding what?"

"Just of the ship being very faulty in terms of equipment and structure, Blackleg-sama. Your acquaintance with the strange attire and blue hair"— _Franky,_ Sanji realized—"offered to repair it however Hiniku-sama declined and it has been that way since."

"Is the ship completely abandoned?"

"No, Sir. Instead, there are a few of the... _advanced_ soldiers stationed there."

Sanji heard the strong pronunciation of 'advanced' and wondered what Paysan meant. Just as he was about for clarification, a painful throb echoed in his head. It left him light-headed and sensitive to all light and sound around him. With the little alertness he had left, he heard Paysan asking in concern about his wellbeing but there was nothing left in him to respond right away. Instead, his mind thrashed within the confines of his skull, tantruming, trying desperately to remind him of something. _Advanced, advanced,_ _ **advanced.**_ And then it clicked. Yonji told him about the cloned soldiers, how it took just a few years to make adult-sized, 'willing to die' slaves. So many questions began surfacing to the front of Sanji's mind yet he hadn't felt the desire to know the answers right now. He'd have to remember to ask at a later time.

"I'm fine, sorry about that. If anyone asks, I'm just browsing the other ships."

"Of course, Y—Blackleg-sama. Would you prefer someone to accompany you?"

"No thank you, I'm quite capable on my own. You all may resume what you were doing."

Before listening for any kind of reply, Sanji turned and hurried off to the other side of the ship where he could see the anchor and deck leading to the land of Wano. Paysan said the main ship was closer towards the shore so with a light leap and a quick walk, Sanji had headed off.

The ship was not difficult to find, not much to his surprise. It was much larger than the other Germa ships and the color of red was much more dramatic in comparison. Yet despite all of that, the ship looked weathered and dented. There were dark scuffs patterned all throughout the exterior, the sails were a bit torn, and the snail (the essence of the ship) looked weak. Many years ago, Sanji remembered his father naming the snail Roi and the name would be screamed quite frequently whenever a scuffle erupted at sea; his father fought a lot. And Roi, contrary to his size, was the fastest and most brutal of his brethren. Now, he was but a shadow of those memories. The former yellow of his skin was now pale and stained with splatters of green, yellow, and blue. Roi's eyes were glazed, almost lifeless with its weariness. Sanji was cautious in his approach, silently fearing that Roi would react negatively to his presence. However, his worry was for naught; the snail did catch him but instead of growing angry or defensive, he released a noise of contentment. Sanji had heard the sound many times before, particularly after eating a hearty meal. He was surprised the snail was even…happy to see him. The few encounters Sanji has had with him were just awkward instances of Sanji talking to a snail that always scowled at him.

"Hello Roi," Sanji said softly, trying to gauge the snail out better. In response, Roi 'purred' (which was the only sound Sanji could compare it to) and smiled. "Good to see you're well. Mind if I take a look around the ship?"

Again, the snail 'purred' and lowered his head, slightly tipping the front of the ship to allow easier access. Sanji appreciated the gesture and tipped his head in thanks. Although his arms were for shit right now at least his legs were functioning; it barely took any muscle work to jump from where he stood onto the deck of the ship. Just like the exterior, there was damage all throughout the ship. It looked like a bomb had been dropped right at the center. The training grounds were torn and broken, similarly to the castle stonewalls, and there were weapons of all variety strewn about. It didn't help that some of the Germa flags were colored a dark red, and with the pieces of cloth scattered, it gave Sanji the image of splattered blood. The scene was disastrous enough yet no memories were triggered. _What happened here?_

"Halt! State your name and business!"

Sanji's heart thumped in alarm, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked up to the balcony of the castle. He saw several men lined up with guns in their hands pointed at him. They were all the same height, wearing the standard Germa 66 uniform so Sanji was certain that he was looking at the clones right now. To keep the peace, Sanji raised in hands in peace and kept his entire body visible.

"Don't shoot. I'm Blackleg Sanji from the Strawhat Pirates and….you know, I used to live here."

Silence.

Suddenly the guns were tossed in all directions as the men kneeled with their hands clasped above their heads. When the silence began reigning for too long, Sanji sighed and asked for the men to join him down on the deck. He was sure his tone was neutral but maybe they were so used to demands given from tall blonds with curly eyebrows that their speed from the balcony to the deck was instant. Sanji felt more irritation poke at him when the soldiers resumed their previous position. If he were to visit the other ships, he'd get the feeling that all the soldiers, clone or not, would react the same.

"Uh, you guys can stand, it's alright." He clears his throat once noticing that the men, although stood after his demand, did not speak or move. "Right, so your names?"

No answer was given. Perhaps they hadn't understood? Sanji pointed to one of the soldiers lined up in front of him and asked him again.

"Your Highness, no names were ever assigned to us."

"What!? Then how are any of you addressed?"

"Alphabetical and numerical ranking, Your Highness."

"Your rank?"

"Ranking A0K4I3, Your Highness."

"Jesus," he whispered, feeling an aggravated headache come on. Was this just a system designed for the clone soldiers? Either way, it was just one ridiculous problem after the other and Sanji was getting sick and tired of it. But just as he was about to set this situation straight, a rather disturbing sound caught his ear.

It was faint at first, leaving Sanji to believe that it had just been his imagination but when he went to speak again, the sound rang louder. It was a desperate scream, a helpless sound that gave Sanji the impression that whoever this person was was being tortured. Immediately, Sanji flared his observation haki to pinpoint where the person could be hiding yet no life force could be found. Sanji was sure he wasn't going crazy, he could hear it now as clear as day.

 _ **"PLEASE! HELP ME, LET ME OUT! PLEASE!"**_

"Where are you!?" Sanji shouted. He looked frantically around the ship and shoved the soldiers aside, uncaring for the moment that he aggressed against them.

"Your Highness?" The soldier, A0K4I3, asked. The tone of his voice sounded plain—not cold or warm—but there was a hint of concern (if that's what it could be called).

Being taken out of his thoughts, Sanji looked at the soldier and reached for him to clutch at his shoulders. "Who is it that you're torturing!? Where are they!?"

"Y-Your Highness—"

But Sanji was impatient. He released his hold on the soldier and turned to find the source of the screams. It kept getting louder, almost as if it were being blared right into his ears; it nearly made him deaf.

 _ **"PLEASE! I'M SORRY, JUST LET ME OUT OF HERE!"**_

The screams sounded as if they were coming from below; if Sanji remembered correctly, there was a small door on the side that lead all the way downstairs into the ship's basement and only assigned personnel were allowed to use that entrance. It was the basement that housed his six-month imprisonment. _Why are there screams coming from down there?_ Memories of his head being incased inside that iron mask, hiding his identity as if he were a filthy stain on a clean shirt, haunted him, blinding him as equally as the screams were deafening him. The signs were clear— _turn away, run away, get away_ —but he just couldn't. Before he could even register his movements, his hands reached for the large, golden lock; it was beaten up but still as sturdy as Sanji could remember. It felt cold under his fingers and surprisingly heavy but Sanji was sure that a light kick from him would break it.

He attempted to pull the door open, assuming that the door was unlocked, except to his dismay, it was the contrary. _Kicking it is then_. He needed to work fast to get that kid free and so he stepped back, reeled his leg back, and swung it forward. The sound of splintering wood was the expectation but not what he received; instead, Sanji felt a ground shaking bout of vibration surround him. He knew the source was coming from behind him but he hadn't felt alarmed. It was as if he secretly knew what—or who—was causing it. A tsunami of paper circled around him to block the door in thick layers, even covering the lock and its luster. The sound of the rustling papers competed well with the screaming, although every time the rustling increased, the screaming followed. Both his head and his arms were swelling with pain but very little care seemed to be present.

Finally, when the thunderous crackle of the paper settled, so did the screaming. Finally, there was welcoming silence.

"You blocked me from entering," he croaked, feeling extremely weak from the whole ordeal.

"You **cannot** go down there."

"Who's down there?" His voice was just light and quiet air.

"Sanji-sama, you're arms are bleeding again. Let me take you back to the Sunny. Captain Luffy is looking for you."

She was right, Sanji knew, because the moment she mentioned it, he could feel the blood seeping out through his bandages. Even worse, it felt like quite the amount; it left him light-headed and nauseous. Still…

"Where is Ichiji? Is he alive?"

"Sanji—"

"And **where** is my father?" His tone was virulent but the impact was softened by how low and faint it sounded. "We've been here for 9 days after Kaido's defeat with no interference from Marines. There's 100 of the ships missing and no signs of my so-called family. Do not insult me; I'm not stupid."

"I don't think that at all—"

"Then tell me what's going on! Who's down there?"

Hiniku looked down in shame, not that Sanji could see due to his back facing her. She was very worried about the amount of blood leaking through the bandages but even more about his psyche. She felt as if Sanji were about to fall and breakdown.

"I can only imagine how confused you must feel," she began. "And I probably have not made it easier on you but I promise that if you follow me back to the Sunny, I can tell you everything. Trust me, please."

At that, Sanji quickly turned his head with bloodshot, narrowed eyes. The blue in them were so dark, it was as if a storm was waging in them. "Don't. Don't ask me of that like it's something I can easily give." He was going to continue and continue until she was left red-faced, embarrassed, and wet from tears. He had never felt so malicious but the throbbing clouded his better judgement. He almost felt shame tingling the back his eyes.

"Then don't trust me," she pleaded, desperate now. "But just get back on the Sunny. You're losing too much blood." She made to grab him but he narrowed his eyes even further, turning them into dangerous slits and the aura around him was warning enough to remain distant. Hiniku was growing tired of his tantrum. "If you won't seek medical attention then I'm going to have to bring you there myself. Your captain will not be too happy to see this from you, Sanji-sama."

At the mention of Luffy's potential disappointment—aimed at him—Sanji took several deep breathes to quell the violent racing of the adrenaline dousing his blood stream. Unfortunately, calming down after experiencing some intense emotions left Sanji too unguarded and tired. Before any apologies could be given, gravity took possession of his body and down he fell. Hiniku used the paper blocking the door to swiftly swarm underneath Sanji and catch him, ensuring that his head or arms wouldn't hit the hard floor.

Hiniku sighed, watching Sanji's frame closely right as she approached to lift him up. If he were awake, he'd throw another fit at the embarrassing position, so to an extent, there was a silver-lining within this moment. However, there was no time to dwell as the blood loss continued. "You're going to be the death of me," she growled as she hurried off the ship. And by that, she meant Luffy-san was going to kill her once he saw the condition Sanji was in and why.


	6. Talk to Me

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** Wow, such a long chapter for me! I wasn't going to post this so soon b/c there were some rewriting issues (I typed 9 pgs worth of material before having to delete all of it) but I gathered my thoughts and now here we are. I'm pretty proud how it turned out. There's a ton of angst but a little progression going on for our pairing. There's also a decent amount of Robin and Nami in this chap but idk if I did them any justice—let me know. Otherwise, enjoy the chapter, I hope you also enjoy the little surprise on my OC, and leave a review!

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

~* _Page Break_ *~

 **Chapter Five:**

"Don't be mad," were her first words as she barged onto the Sunny with an unconscious Sanji in her arms.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Chopper shrieked in horror. Within an instant, he transformed into a bigger form and—gently—snatched Sanji away from Hiniku. He hadn't meant to be rude, per se, but this was getting ridiculous! Chopper didn't know whether to be angrier at Sanji for acting reckless while injured, yet again, or Hiniku for letting it happen.

"He snuck onto the main Germa ship and got a little…overexcited."

The entire room was bustling with the cooks still trying to finish the meals for Luffy but it quieted down some when they noticed the emergency going about. Most the cooks and the Strawhats were watching as Chopper, and eventually Law, fussed over Sanji, worryingly, hoping that the amount of blood they saw was but an exaggeration. However, the worst for wear was Luffy; as Hiniku feared, he _did not_ look happy seeing Sanji bleeding and unconscious. In fact, his stare was piercing right through her, almost leaving a bruise on her face. Although some level of pride tried to prevent her from doing so, Hiniku felt she had no choice but to bow and apologize.

"I am sorry for letting him get injured yet again."

"What was he doing on the main ship?" It had been Nami who asked but somehow it felt as if Luffy'd been the one to transfer the question through her.

Reluctantly, she replied, "I'm unsure myself but it appears he was searching for something."

Now it was solely Nami asking the questions. "Any ideas what that could possibly be?"

"Again, I can't say that I am sure but perhaps he finally remembered something about the recent battles."

"What does the main ship have to do with that?"

 _This one is certainly a dangerous one_ , Hiniku thought. However, in all honesty, she wasn't entirely sure what triggered Sanji to try and enter the basement of the ship, so she told the truth as best she could. That Sanji only remembered snippets of his battle prior to his coma and that he was blacking out (or 'time-hopping' as he calls it) and coming to with little to no memory of what had previously transpired. What any of that had to do with the ship was anyone's best guess, including Hiniku's. Apart from Nami, Zoro, Law, and Robin, everyone else looked gloomier as the four mentioned looked highly suspicious. There was a part of her that knew they were justified in their worry yet she still felt cornered from their assumptions.

"Sanji-san isn't the type to snoop unless there's something to go snooping for. Are you hiding something from him or is he hiding something from us?"

"With all due respect to you and your crew and as much as His Highness considers you all his family, I sincerely doubt his personal affairs are your concern."

Nami balked and colored from cheeks to collar bone but it wasn't clear if she was going to bark or bite yet. Thankfully, Luffy's gentle hand on her shoulder quieted her down but the conversation wasn't close to finished. It was Robin who stepped up this time to try and diffuse the situation.

"Do forgive us for being on edge, Hiniku-san; if Sanji-san trusts you then we can do the same."

"Thank you, I under—"

"However, as I'm sure you also understand, most of us have been split up for quite a while before jumping into a rather significant war. Now that we're finally all together again, we're facing the new issue of having to admit that perhaps we were neglectful in knowing even the basic facts about our friend." The truth of it awoke everyone in the room and even Chopper paused in his ministrations, looking guiltier than he'd ever known. It was shameful to admit, but they truly knew little to nothing about their chef.

"I don't think it'd be appropriate for me to speak about matters without his presence."

"Of course, and I'd respond the same way, but all we ask is if there's something bothering Sanji-san, something that maybe holding him back from fully recovering, then perhaps it is in our best interest to find out, hm? We only wish to help him." Robin pressed.

Feeling a bit anxious, Hiniku ran a hand through her tresses, thinking of whether it was worth telling them the truth. But similarly to what Robin-san stated earlier, if Sanji trusted them, then she could too. Except, "I'm sure you're going to hate me after I explain."

"Let us be the judge of that," Luffy said softly, still behind Nami. Hiniku nodded but had to look away quickly from the intensity of his stare.

Finding an empty seat to sit down on, Hiniku gathered her thoughts, looking at Chopper and Law rebandage Sanji's wounds. His face was so ashen and pained that guilt immediately ate at her. Maybe he wouldn't be happy about it but if it would help them help him, what was there more to lose?

"I—"

"Luffy," Zoro interrupted. "Do you really think it's smart to talk about the Cook without his permission?"

Looking surprised at the question, Luffy shifted his gaze from Zoro to Hiniku to Sanji still laying safely by Chopper and Law in the corner of the kitchen. "I want to help him."

"If the Cook wanted to tell us then he would have said something."

"But you were the one complaining that him not saying anything brought over all this trouble. Now that we have a chance to help him you want to back track?" Nami objected.

"No, I still stick to what I said, but the Cook should be the one telling us. It isn't fair to him or us to find out whatever's bothering him through a second voice."

"You know better than anyone that he's not going to say anything for whatever reason he can think of."

"And that's his right!" Zoro growled. "If he's not gonna talk then he has to deal with the consequences of that but _he_ should be the one saying or not saying something, not some distant sub-servant of his."

"You're a hypocrite! You didn't say any of this to me or Robin when we made similar decisions. Neither one of us sat you down and talked about our troubles. What, because we're women we got to be treated differently or are you just picking on Sanji-san because you're jealous?"

"Jealous?!" He roared. His face was red, his teeth grinding hard against each other in pure agitation. No one could annoy him more than the Cook, but clearly, he stood corrected. "What the fuck do I have to be jealous for?"

"Of Sanji. Because of the extra attention he always gets from Luffy or maybe…maybe you're just mad because you didn't have him pegged as well as you thought."

"If you don't know what you're talking about then I suggest you stop pulling shit out of your ass!"

"I'm right though, aren't I? You thought you had him all figured out just like you think you do for the rest of us but there he is with a bucket of secrets you never would have guessed at and it's eating at you, because GOD FORBID there be someone that could ever one-up the great Roronoa Zoro!"

Zoro stepped up dangerously close, close enough to heave his hot breath down Nami's face. His entire aura was dark and had not Luffy not stepped in between, Nami would have found herself trembling in its shadow.

"Zoro, that's enough," he ordered with a stern voice.

"She should be careful with what she says." Zoro re-shifted his position to appear less threatening, looking to Luffy with rigidness lacing his every move. "And no matter what the reason, the Cook won't be happy to learn that you didn't trust or respect him enough to wait. His story isn't hers to tell," he said gesturing to Hiniku.

Luffy looked disappointed. He still wanted to argue against Zoro's argument, but he knew he was right. Sanji would be pretty upset of they did something like that behind his back, no matter how good the intentions were. "You're right."

"Luffy!" Nami exclaimed desperately. "But—"

"Don't worry, Sanji will tell us when he's better and ready, Nami. How is he over there?"

"Looked about the same as it did this morning and we stopped the bleeding. Now we really can't let him out of our sights," Chopper answered.

"Good! You guys finish eating breakfast and I'll watch him."

"Are you sure? Have you finished eating?"

"I'm good, go eat," he kindly ordered, not really answering the question. However, neither Chopper nor Law argued and stood up to do as instructed. Luffy was already by Sanji's side and slipped his lap neatly underneath his head. Sanji's breathing was calm but Luffy wasn't a fan of his pale coloring; this morning, even though Sanji had lost blood then too, looked livelier, especially when they all entered the kitchen. Now, he looked as sick as he had when he was sleeping off his injuries, tense and grey.

As Luffy continued to watch over him, the kitchen's previous chaos restarted, although much tamer than before, leaving him to ponder on what to do next. This pattern with Sanji injuring himself and waking up with even more distance developing between him and the crew was _not_ sitting well with Luffy. He thought that when Sanji woke up, things would be tense at worst, confusing at best, but this threw him for a loop. Sanji felt light years away, thinking and dwelling on issues all by himself despite Luffy being right there. Granted, if Sanji just needed space to think things through then that was fine but that wasn't the energy Luffy was sensing. No, he felt like Sanji was somewhere else, battling something—may someone—else and whatever it was, it was currently winning. A sharp gasp caught his attention—Sanji seemed to be having some kind of nightmare since his face was twisted as if he were in pain.

It was more instinctual than anything else but a very small part of Luffy did it as he remembered when Ace and Sabo had done something similar to him when they were young; Luffy carefully carded his fingers through Sanji's hair, lightly scraping the tip of his fingers against Sanji's scalp as a means to calm him. "Ssh, Sanji, you're okay," he whispered into the chef's face.

Across the room, Luffy heard someone huff which was quickly followed by the light scrape of a chair. Zoro stomped his way towards the exit before chancing a look at Luffy. "I'mma take a nap." Even if he had wanted to, Luffy wasn't given a chance to reply since Zoro quickly turned and left. His strange behavior had Luffy wondering if Nami was right and that Zoro actually believed that Luffy had favorites.

It was impossible to have favorites—everyone was amazing, he loved them all, ship included. Why would Zoro think Sanji was any different? Yes, Sanji worked Luffy's favorite position—the kitchen—but that didn't mean Sanji was ranked better than anyone else—that was just ridiculous! Looking back down at Sanji, Luffy noticed his facial expression softened and he looked a lot less pained. Good, maybe Sanji could finally get some rest and recover. Touching Sanji's unbelievably soft hair somehow calmed Luffy and even though Luffy wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there but he was sure the time span was short before he found himself growing sleepy. and falling asleep.

 **SOME TIME LATER**

It was the sound of muffled voices that brought him back to the living. Trying to remember where he was and how he ended up there, Luffy sleepily opened his eyes and saw that he was still in the kitchen. All of the cooks were gone by now but all of the Strawhats (minus Zoro) and Hiniku were there but it also seemed that Law was missing too. They were sitting at the table, conversing deeply about something and based off of Nami's face, it looked interesting.

"How'd you end up with the Vinsmokes anyway?" She asked before popping a tangerine slice in her mouth.

"Yeah, you don't seem like the other soldiers working for Germa," Usopp added.

Luffy couldn't see the slight smirk Hiniku expressed, not that it mattered since it short lived. "I suppose that's a compliment. I may seem more ' _normal_ ' than some of the others because I'm part of the **Unmodified**."

"You weren't experimented on?" Nami guessed.

"Correct. Germa's soldiers are split into a 3-tier system: the first is my group, the **Unmodified** , which are soldiers recruited from around the world. They not only fight and follow orders but their LF* is collected on a scheduled basis. The second group are the **Hybrids** : they're the soldiers typically born on Germa ground that are born through natural means—they have parents—but are later modified using the LF collected from the Unmodified, giving them some superhuman capabilities. The last group are the **Clones** : they're self-explanatory. They are created and grown in a lab using the LF from the Unmodified—sometimes even the Hybrids—and are completely superhuman."

Franky whistled as if he were impressed but he just couldn't believe any of what she just said was true. Everyone else looked a variety of expression that ranged from intrigued to surprised to weirded out. "Man, I know Germa was known for technology but I didn't know they were this far."

"Truthfully, I think the Vinsmokes owe many thanks to Vegapunk and his ideas, not that King Judge would ever say so."

"What? Vegapunk worked with them?"

"I'm not too familiar of their relationship but rumor around the various ships was that a lot of Germa's success was dependent on Vegapunk."

"Did you ever meet him?" Franky asked excitingly.

"Sorry, I didn't. Although I was a soldier since before his arrest, I was stationed at another ship before transferring to the main ship."

Both Usopp and Franky looked surprised at that, but it was Usopp that had to ask. "Vegapunk was arrested a long while ago so how old are you now?"

"That's rude to ask a lady her age, Usopp-san," Hiniku said with amusement. He stammered out an apology but she waived it off since she didn't really care. "I'm quite bad at conversion and truthfully I lost count over a decade ago. But if I had to say, I think I'm around my late teens, maybe early twenties."

She knew she definitely lost everyone. "Wait, I'm confused, why are you using conversation to determine your age?"

Hiniku blinked and her brows furrowed in thought before some kind of realization clicked. She pushed her lavender locks back, tucking them behind her ears, and then turned her head so she could show everyone. It seemed only Nami and Robin, however, were the ones that understood what she was trying to tell them.

"What? What's going on?" Usopp frantically demanded.

"Y-You're…Elven?!" Nami exclaimed with eyes the size of a full moon.

"Yes, I'm surprised you guys didn't catch on to that upon meeting me. I thought you all would have noticed by then."

When everyone caught on, they all released their own version of shock and awe. People of the Elven race were rare—some would even say close to extinction—since the island of Avant was overtaken by some Tenryūbito who apparently wanted to "share" the Elven race by selling them to the highest bidder. The cold truth of it was the World Nobles were mostly interested in Elven skin, said to contain unique oils that helped retain youth for long periods of time (years). It was also said that Elven had long life spans and aged much slower than humans but since they were such a private race to being with, their exact life expectancy was never determined so a range from 100 to 500 years was the best estimation anyone could do.

"How incredible, to meet an Elven in this day and age," Robin said with a small smile. "Jumping on Nami-san's question from earlier, how did you come to work for the Vinsmokes? If you don't mind sharing that is."

"That's alright, the siege happened so long ago and with such few casualties that I can't say I'm too bothered by it. I was born in Avant to two esteemed warriors—raised as one myself—before the wars began. Thankfully, word had travelled around the sea that the Nobles were raiding other islands and my people were savvy enough to evacuate the children and non-warriors to safer locations. Those that remained, the warriors, stayed to defend the land but were obviously of no match in comparison to their numbers. Like most slaves, we were shackled and escorted to the auction houses to be bought and that's where Queen Sora found me."

"Is that…Sanji's mother?" Nami asked curiously.

Hiniku smiled, remembering the day she met the queen. "Yes. I'm unsure if Sanji-sama would appreciate me saying so but most of his looks, he got from his mother. She was a beauty that transcended reality and I'm not just saying so. She was…something else. Well anyway, Queen Sora, who wasn't queen at the time, saw me trying to eat some scraps despite the cuffs hindering me, and actually knelt to help me. All her advisors screamed at her to stop but she did it anyway and when she finished helping me, told someone to fetch the auctioneer because she wanted to purchase me.

Of course I thought just because she helped me, it didn't mean she was kind or sympathetic—she did buy me after all. I thought she may even want me just to keep her youth. But I was wrong; when we arrived at her home, I was bathed and fed and given my own quarters before being told that my job was to simply keep her company. Eventually, though, I had to actually contribute or King Judge was going to find "better" uses for me, as he put it. I was put in the front lines since it was learned that I could fight but I think they expected me to die early on because of how surprised they were whenever I victorious. After they ran some assessments, I was told that I'd be working for the main ship and have my LF taken to better support the army."

"When'd you become a devil user, then?" Usopp prodded.

User of the _Kami-Kami no Mi_ (Paper-Paper fruit), Hiniku could manipulate any form of paper or materials that held similar properties. They first witnessed her abilities during the battles at Wano; a barrage of arrows were aimed their way before she intervened with a wall of solid paper. Since then, a couple of the Strawhats were having fun using her powers to their amusement, like Usopp and Chopper wanting paper animals to swarm the ship to annoy Zoro (which would work quite marvelously). Shaking herself from her thoughts, Hiniku remembered that Usopp had asked her a question.

"After already becoming an Unmodified. There were a couple of soldiers that were held in high regard for their strength and skill so sometimes different privileges were applied. In my case, King Judge wanted to see if being a devil fruit user would affect me in anyway but it turned out I was a quick learner and ended up utilizing the ability better than anticipated."

For a few seconds, there was a comfortable silence that controlled the room. Luffy, who no one knew was awake, thought over about the new information he listened in on and was admittedly intrigued. Hinbaka-chan seemed to really close to Sanji's mom, sounded as devoted and loyal as Ace was for Whitebeard. Like he was for Shanks. Like what he hopes any of the Strawhats are for him.

"Hey," he suddenly called, gaining everyone's attention. Except for Robin (probably 'cause she's too observant and knew he was awake the moment he opened his eyes) looked surprised at his consciousness.

"Luffy, you're awake!" Chopper said happily. He stood from his seat and approached them, first checking on Luffy before taking a look at Sanji. "How long were you awake?"

"Eh, just for a little bit. Should I take Sani to bed?"

"Yup, he's looking good so far but I don't think long rest on the kitchen floor will help much." He giggled.

Luffy agreed and went to reposition himself to pick up Sanji and carry him but a long moan halted his movements. Sanji was slightly shaking his head, his eyes squeezing tight, and some deep wrinkles were forming in between his eyes. "Sanji?" But all he received in return were broken lengthy moans.

 _~*Sanji's Dream*~_

 _He sat up until he was left straddling his brother's lap, still slowly circling his hips. Then, with a gloved hand, he reached for Sanji's neck and squeezed with abandon. Purple, blue, and red colored Sanij's face as he struggled to breathe; he scratched at Ichiji's wrists but the skin was too hard to injure._

 _"Ich…i…ji," Sanji managed._

 _"I could kill you and no one would know. Maybe it'd be hours or days until they'd find you cold and bloodless. Maybe you'd be rotten by then. Decomposed, covered in whatever filth this land has to offer."_

 _Sanji's vision was blurring from the tears streaming out of his reddening eyes. Still, despite the lack of oxygen and lack of vision, he could feel the quickening of Ichiji's aggressive friction, and it aggravated the wound inflicted on his rib cage. He was certain that globs of blood was seeping out because there was a wave of warmth coating his midsection._

 _"You're going to die, Sanji. Whether by my hand or from being a criminal at sea, you're going to die. When that happens, you're to realize how useless you are."_

 _"Thhahh…da…uh (Then do it)," he said breathlessly._

 _Sanji wasn't sure if Ichiji did understand what he said but suddenly his throat was released and a rush of oxygen tried cramming through his airways. He gasped and coughed, never feeling so relieved to breathe in his entire life! There was a burning sensation bathing his insides but the pain was welcomed by this point; it wasn't as if nothing else was broken or torn or hurting in some fashion. Remembering that Ichiji was still sitting on top of him, he cared very little about his wounds and twisted himself to aim a hard kick. Although it missed, Ichiji still rolled away from Sanji, returning them back to their original stance._

 _"What—" Sanji coughed, his voice now sounding soft and airy. "What difference does it make to you how I die?"_

 _"It doesn't. Yet I think that before it were to happen, the least you could do, the only useful thing you should be capable of doing, is taking responsibility."_

 _The aura around Ichiji changed, somehow turning darker and more sinister than before. "What are you—"_

 _"You weren't the only one punished for_ _ **your**_ _failings."_

 _~*Sanji's Dream*~_

It took three blinks before Sanji came awake, finding himself facing horrendously bright lights. As silly as it may have sounded, he was hoping—praying—that it was the entrance of Heaven welcoming him in but he knew it to be false when he recognized that no trip to Heaven would include pain wracking his entire form. That and he was pretty sure hovering familiar faces of concern were also not included.

"Sanji? Are you in any pain?" Chopper asked nervously.

 _Yes, it hurts everywhere._ "No," he whispered.

"You're…crying, Sanji," he murmured softly so that no one else would hear.

Hearing Chopper point it out only made him realize the wetness on his face. In the moment, if anyone were to ask, he couldn't identify why he was crying, but it was as if deep down he certainly knew. And the inability to say it out loud made the tears push harder, burning the skin of his face, soaking the edges of his hair. He must have looked like a pathetic mess, a weak, disgusting lump of flesh, but the graces of Luffy and god kept anyone from saying anything. Luffy, beautiful Luffy, quickly covered his face and muttered how he was going to take Sanji to bed, that he must have been tired. Sanji didn't know if anyone believed him but it didn't matter because within a second, he found himself being carried off and away from concerned eyes. Luffy's strength comforted Sanji immensely, giving him a crazy sense of safety that felt much better than it did earlier when he was holding him. It was almost enough to lull him back to sleep but just the very thought had Sanji forcing his eyes open. Sleep was the last thing he wanted to indulge in.

When they arrived to the room, Luffy gently placed him on the bed and grabbed the blankets to cover him with. He asked him if he was cold and Sanji shook his head. There was an awkward silence between them, mostly from Sanji's end since he assumed Luffy would leave him be, but there he sat at the end of the bed, looking all around in a relaxed position. As if nothing out of the ordinary were happening.

"If—You can go…if you want."

Luffy looked surprised, then slightly offended. "Oh, you want me to go?"

"No!" Sanji said quickly, then wincing when his throat ached at the exertion. "I mean…if you wanted."

"Nah, I'm good here." There was that wide, childish grin on his face.

"But—"

"Sanji," Luffy said, now serious. "Did you want to talk about it?"

He knew what he was referring to and it made him grimace in displeasure. "Not…really."

There was an expectation of resistance or protest, but instead Luffy nodded—he always took Sanji off guard. "You're not ready yet," he said, perhaps noticing the question on Sanji's face. "But when you are, you can come talk to me anytime, you know that, right?" It was Sanji's turn to nod.

They returned to their previous silence, with a lot less awkwardness plaguing them, each thinking over some heavy thoughts. That was until Luffy spoke up again regarding something Sanji never thought would cross his mind.

"Hey, can I ask about your mother?"

"Wha—What?!"

"Your mother," he repeated. "Hinbaka said you look just like her and that she was really nice. Is it okay to ask about her?"

Sanji blinked in overwhelming shock; it shouldn't have been that big of a deal, and it really wasn't, but he just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Luffy independently initiated a conversation about _his_ past. Their crew was really close but family topics were rare on the ship, mostly because the topics were associated with big events the crew ended up encountering along their travels so it was always weird to ever bring it up. Like the fact that the only reason they know about Robin was due to her being held hostage and them having to save her. Similarly with Nami. Brook wasn't held hostage—his shadow was but Sanji wasn't sure if that counted—but either way, they had to defeat a warlord to learn about him. Chopper and Franky fell along the same lines. Zoro and Luffy were the only ones who's past never 'popped' up and regarding Usopp, well he was the only one who openly talked about himself and his childhood. Now that Luffy was asking, Sanji felt compelled to answer, especially since it was a topic about something pleasing, something Sanji could talk about forever if he could.

"Y-Yeah, um, just…what do want to know?"

"Whatever you want to tell me."

Sanji had to tame the giant smile wanting to break his face. "I could tell you a lot, since she is my mom, and she was the coolest woman ever."

There was a challenging smile on Luffy's face. "I don't know, I knew this woman named Dadan and she was pretty awesome…"

"Who's Dadan?"

"Nu uh, I asked you first."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "Fine, but you're sitting all the way over there and if I'm gonna talk, I ain't gonna to be shouting across the room."

Luffy mimicked him by rolling his own eyes, except the grin on his face made his amusement too apparent. "I thought you said you weren't cold?"

"Just shut your ass up and get over here."

His grin broke before a goofy laughed erupted from him as he closed the gap between him and Sanji. He curled himself under the thick blankets and settled down once a stable heat was established. For only a second, there was a silence between them, and then Sanji spoke.

 **Meanwhile**

Zoro said he was going to nap but there was an itch under his skin that needed dealing with so he resorted to training. There was well over 500,000 pounds of weight in hands; easy enough to lift but heavy enough to start some sweat. It didn't take long before his shirt disappeared, leaving only his sweats and bandana wrapped around his forearm. Thankfully, he entered a state of mind that distracted him from earlier events in the kitchen, but of course, that pleasure could only be short. It didn't have to take a ton of haki to sense Law by the entrance.

"What?" He grunted out.

"Just enjoying the view," Law replied simply, almost monotone-like.

Zoro scoffed. "I ain't in the mood."

"Yes, I figured you would be in a sour mood."

"I don't have a right to be?"

"I didn't say that. Do you want my opinion?"

He shrugged after throwing the weight down on the mat, wiping some sweat off his forehead. "If you have one," he then added.

"Hmm, so inviting, Roronoa-ya. Well, if you must know, I think what you said was right and just what your captain needed to hear."

"But?"

"I don't think what you did was as helpful, however."

"What I did? What's that?"

"You allowed Navigator-ya's words to bother you and it seems to have affected how you treated your captain. I believe you've hurt his feelings."

"The hell? Nothing that bitch said was true! I ain't jealous of the Cook."

"Perhaps it isn't Blackleg-ya you're jealous of then."

A dark look flashed across Zoro's eyes and before Law blinked, he saw Zoro in front of him, yanking him by the collar of his shirt until they were face to face. "I ain't saying it again, so for the last time, I ain't jealous of the Cook or Luffy."

"You better not be. I'd hate to have to seek some petty revenge," he said, casting a dark look of his own. He then licked his lips, hoping Zoro got a good look at them in the process, which he did.

"Don't be stupid." Zoro tried leaning in to bite on Law's lower lip but he kept pulling away, earning a frustrated growl. "What the fuck?"

"This I am being genuinely curious about; the second point that Navigator-ya made, was that true or false?"

"What?"

"About you 'thinking you had him pegged'—is that why you're upset? Because you _are_ upset, if not jealous."

Zoro scowled but didn't deny the accusation. "Not exactly," he confessed. "I wasn't trying to assume anything, but I never thought he was holding so much of himself back. I thought I knew him, that I knew who I was reliant on."

"You think he's different now?"

"I don't know who he is right now so of course I'm pissed off. Maybe he hasn't changed or maybe this whole family shit fucked him up, I don't know. I just know that as of right now, I can't trust him and the fact that Luffy is practically on top of him doesn't help."

"I'd have to disagree. I think you're not giving Blackleg-ya enough benefit of the doubt."

"Hmm, we'll see," he said, ending the conversation. "So, we gonna fuck?"

A smirk reappeared on Law's face. "Who's topping?"

"What's the challenge?"

"Whoever cuts first chooses?"

Zoro grinned as he reached for one of his swords. "Deal."

 _~*Final Page Break*~_

 **Some final notes: in case you weren't sure what LF meant, it stands for Lineage Factor—One Piece does not use the term DNA.**


	7. My Mother is Amazing

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** Another long one! So happy how this chapter came out but admittedly, I had to cut it even shorter because it was getting way too long. This is all Sanji centric but there's different things going on so let me know what you think. P.S. the chapter updates on Sanji and One Piece have been great and it's great material to incorporate for this story—speaking of which, I started this story way before learning about the Vinsmokes' hair color dynamic and I've debated for the longest time if I should keep them all blond or keep their hair color canon. I've finally decided to go canon but you can let me know too if you like that idea or no? Alright then, enjoy the chapter and have a good mother's day!

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

~* _Page Break_ *~

 **Chapter Six:**

Sanji started with her appearance. It wasn't the first time Luffy heard Sanji speaking about women with reverence, shouting about how they were descendants of angels and other deities and how they needed to be treated like royalty— _blah blah blah_. But this time, Sanji's voice sounded soft, smooth like butter and he spoke with a weight Luffy had never heard before. He should have known that when Sanji loved something or someone, he truly _loved_ them with an intensity stronger than any haki. He mentioned her sense of humor, how naturally animated she was with everything she did even when sick. He mentioned her kindness, how she ate some disgusting plate of food that had been thrown about and soaked in the rain but ate the entire thing with a large smile and a shout of how good it was. Luffy was sure it was delicious but Sanji insisted that it was pretty terrible. Finally, he trailed off with a mention of her courage, how she withstood her illness for as long as she could, encouraging Sanji every chance she had no matter how it costed her energy and strength.

"She sounds amazing," Luffy said breathlessly, amazed from the story. Honestly, he was hoping to hear more, especially if Sanji was going to continue speaking in that tone.

With a little wistful smile, Sanji nodded. "Told you."

"…Can I ask how—"

"She passed? She was…sick from a drug she took." Sanji sighed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the truth of his words. "I didn't know it at the time but it was…for us—my brothers and me—but it took a toll on her health."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, actually thank you. You know, for everything."

"What?" Luffy asked, puzzled.

"I didn't get a chance to say so before but I guess now is as good as time as any; for everything with Big Mom and the wedding, for kicking my ass when I needed it…and for right now. I've never said so much about something so personal but I don't regret it and I want to thank you.

"Stupid, of course I'd help you, we're naka—"

"But that word doesn't mean anything unless someone like you comes along to prove it. Before becoming a Strawhat, I lived for 19 years only trusting _two_ people—my mother and the Old Geezer. Now in just 3 years, I've come to trust friends across the sea, 5 supposedly "regular" humans, a cyborg, a reindeer, and a skeleton with my life."

"Sanji," he began, clasping Sanji's hand in his with a gentleness that was greatly appreciated. "You don't have to thank us for anything, especially for loving you. I hope you know that now, that you can't quit or leave us because I'll kick whoever's ass to get you back."

 _Especially for loving you_. Those words rang in his ears and like the greedy pig he was, he was hungry to hear them again. _Love_. In poems and music, he thought it to be a simple feeling, something that could come and go in passing like lust, anger, sadness, but no, sitting here with Luffy looking into his soul made him realize that love was by no means _simple_. It was overwhelming, intoxicating, terrifying—and that was just in reference to friendship! That's when Sanji suddenly sobered up a little bit; _right, not everyone can love you in that manner_. There was proof of it too, just look at his "friendship" with Zoro. Despite living on an intimate ship, Sanji trying to be nice, giving a little more alcohol from time to time, letting some touches linger here or there, the first thing Zoro does is fuck the nearest swordsman. Granted, Sanji was still Sanji so that didn't mean the disputes and harsh insults were suddenly gone, but still, he figured that was just part of their dynamic, dammit! No, love was not simple, in fact, it fucking sucked. It made sane people feel mad and depressed.

"Hey, do you have to poop?"

Sanji sputtered and blushed with an unknown embarrassment. "What the hell, Luffy?! No!"

"Well you squished your face and you looked really mad for some reason! What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied immediately, desperately not wanting Luffy to know what he had been thinking.

"Hmm, are you sure?"

"Luffy, I'll kick your ass far off this bed if you keep thinking that nasty shit!"

"Fine, alright already, let's get some sleep anyway. Chopper and Torao are gonna be mad if they see you so tired."

"What? But what about Dadan? You said you tell me who she was."

"Shishishi, don't worry, Sanji, I will, but let's sleep first."

"But I'm not tired," he said with a childish pout that he was sure he should have felt embarrassed about.

Although, Luffy smiled instead, finding a disputing Sanji somewhat endearing as opposed to annoying. Sanji wasn't usually a complainer—he'd pretend to be annoyed or inconvenienced by things but he wasn't one to whine about unfairness—so seeing him throw a fit amused Luffy. Deciding to actually indulge Sanji, Luffy took a more comforting position by laying on his back so that he could stare at the ceiling; he could feel Sanji's eyes on him.

"Once upon a time—" he heard Sanji scoff but he continued on, paying no heed. "there was this kid who wanted to be the King of the Pirates! He wanted to go out to sea but his friend Red Hair said no 'cause he was too young. So the kid decided he was gonna wait until he was older before going out to sea. But then his grandpa—a marine—came back and was mad that the kid was friends with a pirate. So his great idea was to send the kid to live with the mountain bandits—"

A thump on his shoulder halted Luffy from continuing the story. Sure enough, Sanji was quietly breathing, sleeping like a rock. Good, maybe the heavy sleeping and warmth would give Sanji good dreams and despite having a nap earlier himself, Luffy felt beyond comfortable. Perhaps he was being too selfish in basking in the perks of a comfy bed and Sanji's physical company _but I'm the captain!_ Selfishness was part of the details. Not thinking twice about it, he closed his eyes and fell away to dreamland.

 _~*Break*~_

 _Somehow, he found himself in the aquarium room even though he was pretty sure he was still on the Germa ship, sleeping. But no, here he was in the company of his crewmates of all except Luffy and Zoro. Surprisingly, even Law was there, sitting in one of the seats reading a medical book. No one looked up to moved, just going about their business as if this was an everyday thing. Sanji wanted to ask why they were all in here, even himself, but he didn't want to alarm them or bring attention to the fact that he couldn't remember things again. Instead, he chose to stare at the aquarium, watching as the school of fish swam in circles back and forth, dancing to the music that they somehow could hear Brook playing. Their shadows jittered as well, cascading all over the floor and walls of the room and Sanji's face, emphasizing how dark and blue the room was. Again, why was everyone in here when clearly it was too dark to read or play games?_

 _Suddenly, Sanji noticed something large swimming wildly in his peripheral. Taking a closer look, he came to the realization that it was none other than his idiotic captain!_

 _"Luffy?! Wha—whatever, just hold on, you shitty captain!"_

 _Sanji was surprised no one so much as blinked but too preoccupied with wanting to save their captain from drowning, he figured he'd ask questions later. However, right as he went to run towards the exit, he was halted by a commanding voice._

 _"SHIT COOK!"_

 _Turning around, Sanji saw Zoro standing with his arms crossed and a furious expression. The second question Sanji wanted to ask was where the hell Zoro had come from because seriously, he wasn't there two seconds ago. "What the hell do you want, Marimo?! Don't you see Luffy drowning?"_

 _Zoro didn't answer immediately, but instead, turned his frowning into a slight scowl and extended an open hand towards Sanji. "Come here."_

 _"What the hell are you talking about? Have you lost your mind, grass head?"_

 _"Come here," he said again, his hand still extended. Although this time, Sanji got a better look at him, noticing that Zoro was blocking the exit of the room. Sun cascaded down Zoro's form, coloring him in yellow and gold and a slight shimmering of white that bounced off of his clothes and tanned skin. He looked like what one would imagine a guardian angel to look like. And that realization made Sanji want to grab at the hand held out to him. Somehow, Sanji remembered nothing of his original goal but to now latch onto that lifeline as if his life did depend on it. Taking a step forward, he listened and reached out with his own hand—_

 _"Sanji," another voice called._

 _He turned again, back towards the aquarium where he then remembered Luffy was previously drowning! Except, looking at him now, he could see that Luffy was merely hovering in the water with a serious expression of his own. His strawhat was tipped low but there was no mistaking the striking brown piercing through. But unlike his eyes, the rest of Luffy was covered in shades of blue, as if the aquarium was displaying Luffy like a painting of sorts._

 _"Luffy," Sanji muttered softly in return._

 _Luffy then extended his own hand, despite there being a glass wall between them. "Come here, Sanji."_

 _The urge to grasp Zoro's hand dissipated instantly but the urge to grab onto Luffy's was completely different. Sanji felt starved for Luffy's hand and there was almost no hesitation to go and grab it._

 _"Cook, don't! Come here."_

 _Sanji halted, almost whining from having to restrain himself from grabbing onto Luffy. He turned and saw the light around Zoro growing brighter. It was only a flicker, but still strong enough to call back to Sanji and have him develop distance between him and Luffy. As if annoyed by Sanji's delay, Zoro began stepping closer, bringing along his brightness and shine._

 _A loud crack caught both of their attention; once again, Sanji turned and saw Luffy punching the glass of the aquarium with his dominant hand. The school of fish hovering near by scattered in fear but as for the crew, they remained still, continuing on with their business as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Luffy took another swing, forcing the crack to increase all throughout._

 _"Luffy, stop, you're gonna hurt yourself."_

 _His expression wasn't one of kindness, however, it wasn't directed at Sanji. Luffy looked over Sanji's shoulder, glaring a fury at Zoro that was never expected. "Sanji, come here."_

 _"But—"_

 _"I'll kick whosever ass to get you back. I'll kick_ his _ass to get you back."_

 _The glass finally gave in and water came rushing out that filled the entire room instantly._

 _~*Page Break*~_

With a gasp, Sanji shot up from his bed and instantly felt cold sweat coating his skin. _What the ever-loving fuck was that about?!_ That seriously had to have been the weirdest dream Sanji had ever had but that wasn't including the nightmares. Looking around, he instantly remembered that he was in his room but there was no sign of Luffy—his side was even cold. Not wanting to dwell on it, Sanji shot out of bed and swung the door open only to almost slam into Hiniku.

"Ah, Sanji-sama, how are you?"

"Uh, hey," he stammered, feeling off guard. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"It's almost evening."

Then no wonder Luffy wasn't in the bed, there was no way that guy would miss dinner and knowing him, he thought it'd be best to let Sanji get as much rest needed—and he was probably threatened by Chopper too.

Doing his best to gather himself together, Sanji tried recalling the last time he spoke to Hiniku and the memory didn't stir anything kind. "Right, we need to talk," he said with a frown.

A nervousness began crawling under Hiniku's skin upon seeing her lord's expression. She figured Sanji would want an explanation eventually, but that didn't mean she had to look forward to it. "Of cou—"

"You said you didn't want to inflict any harm on me or my crew."

"And that still hold very true, Sanji-sama."

"Then explain to me what it is you are hiding because in case you are unaware, I am someone who finds omission just as faulty as actually lying. Who are you torturing and hiding on that ship?"

"No one is being tortured, I don't even know why you would think us capable of that."

A sarcastic smirk managed to stretch Sanji's lips just a bit before he shook his head and another frown replaced it. "It isn't your fault for not knowing but just so you do know, on the Sunny, I live with Robin-chwan and for those that don't know her, I always say there's just 2 things to keep in mind: that she tends to say the most dreadful things at the most inopportune times, and that she can be _very_ vague when she wants to. In other words, I'm a bit of an expert in knowing when someone is avoiding answering a direct question."

Again, Hiniku looked nervous, almost scared as her eyes widened. "It isn't what you're thinking."

"Who are you hiding on that ship." It was a question that sounded as like a demand.

Looking pitiful, Hiniku furrowed her brows and exhaled loudly, as if internally debating on whether what she'd say next would be her downfall. "I cannot say."

The blackened instinct that plagued Sanji's nightmare, the bloodlust ones, somehow made a conscience return. Now Hiniku was a female so there was no way Sanji would actually inflict harm, physical or otherwise, but he was surprised he even felt the want to. Taking a deep breath of his own, Sanji quelled the hidden demon trying its best to claw its way out. "What do you mean—"

"Yet, Sanji-sama, I cannot say anything _yet_."

"Why not?"

"I…I've been given orders not to say anything until their return."

Finally snapping, Sanji lost the control of his voice volume. "You've been bragging how loyal you are to me because I'm so much better than the rest of them but now you're following someone else's orders? Who the fuck?!"

"Please, Sanji-sama, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! I am pissed off and instead of telling me what the situation is or answering any of my questions, I'm being looped around in circles. I'll admit, I have a shitty-ass memory of my recent events but that's no right to fuck with me!"

"I'm not try—"

"WHO is on that ship?!"

Finally gathering her wits, Hiniku straightened her back and thrusted her chin in the air. She still looked dreadfully nervous of Sanji, especially with the aura he was currently emitting, but she had no choice.

"I was instructed not to say and no matter how much you continue to yell, I will not change my mind. As for who gave me the orders, it was given by your sister, Reiju-sama."

"R-Reiju?!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Wha—Then where's Reiju?!"

"That I am actually uncertain of. All she said was that the main ship had to be guarded and she was going to do something that might take a while before returning."

Somehow, the new information managed to calm Sanji down. The murderous energy ebbed away, leaving only some fatigue and confusion in its wake. Still, Sanji wanted more answers.

"And my brothers? What of them?"

"That as well I do not know. After you were found, Luffy-san and Chopper-san grabbed you while Reiju-sama grabbed Ichiji-sama. I have heard nothing of his status or of Niji-sama and Yonji-sama."

"That implies he's alive."

"I think he might be but then again, his condition looked a lot worse than yours."

 _I doubt it_. "Okay, so no known whereabouts of my siblings and the main ship is holding some suspicious-ass secrets. Sounds about fair."

"If I may ask, what made you leave to go on the main ship?"

Sanji's expression took on a more somber note. Right, he had a reason for wanting to take a look at the ship all because…of those damn nightmares. They meant something, said something in between the lines that caught Sanji's interest. He needed to take a look at the ship to figure out the missing puzzle piece that had been missing his entire life. What he wanted was to get the chance to do some proper investigation before being distracted in the manner that he was when he first hopped on the ship. According to Reiju's orders, the ship needed to be guarded, clearly to avoid the chance of Sanji learning who was hiding on the ship but that should not include anywhere else—like the labs.

"I want to take a look at the labs."

Hiniku looked curious and surprised. Not that she knew what to expect but it certainly wasn't anywhere near the laboratories. "Why do you want to go in there?"

"I remembered something that Niji and Yonji said when I first got here. I put it on the back burner since we were all too busy worrying about other things but now I want to figure it out."

"Figure what out? What did you remember?"

There wasn't a perfect way to describe the look that crossed Sanji's eyes. Surely determined but also uncertain, confused, as if Sanji couldn't answer the question all that well. That was why when he didn't reply, Hiniku respected that perhaps the lack of answer was the point; whatever he was looking for, he'd figure it out once he actually got the chance to look.

"Okay, well before you—we—head off to the main ship, I think it wise to freshen up and get some food into your system."

"No, it's alr—"

"Sanji-sama, humor me, hm? Not to mention that your captain gave me quite the scolding after he woke up; he is not pleased with how much you've been injuring yourself upon your awakening. If we head over there now in the condition you're in and you so much as get a nick, he's going to have my head."

"I'll tell Luffy to cool it."

"Thank you but he is right and honestly, it's worrisome how much blood you've lost in the span of a day. All I ask is for you to wash up, get in a good meal, and then we can go to the labs to look for whatever it is you need to find."

Sanji pouted but relented and realized that Hiniku was speaking from a good place. Not liking the fact that he gave in so quickly, Sanji huffed and headed towards the exit to find the nearest shower. "Fine, I'll be quick. But uh, is it possible for you to bring a meal here instead?"

Suspicion made an instant appearance. "…Okay?"

"I just don't want the crew to know I'm awake yet. Chopper and maybe Law will start pestering, the women will tell me to sleep some more, and Luffy will probably agree to all of that."

"I already told you that your captain is on high alert. What if he finds out that I knew you were awake and didn't say anything?"

"Let me worry about that, I just want to quietly take a look at the labs and then I'll come straight back."

"Sanji-sama," Hiniku pleaded, really not wanting to go through with any of this.

"Hiniku, I'm gonna go anyway even if you say no. Plus, do you really want anyone else involved? What if they want to tag along and board the ship and end up coming across the basement where you're hiding Mr. Whoknows?"

She gasped. "Are you _blackmailing_ me, Sanji-sama?!"

"No, I'm just trying to get you to realize that there's a lot more risk trying to follow all of the rules when we can simply get it over and done with quicker if less people know about it."

A painful groan came out loud and desperate but unfortunately, Sanji was still adamant about his plan. She _really_ didn't want to piss off the Strawhat captain. Weighing her options, Hiniku groaned again and nodded, doing her best to convince herself that this was the best course of action. They'd be quick. Go in, take a look, get out. No one would have to know… _crap_. "Sanji-sama, you better plead for me when Luffy-san decides to kill me."

Somehow, Sanji had the nerve to chuckle. "Alright, let me go wash up and then we'll go."

Before she could respond, Sanji left and she had to quickly leave herself to go and find a suitable meal. At least Luffy-san couldn't say that she neglected in caring for Sanji-sama's basic needs. It would be a grave mistake to go on the Sunny and sneak a meal from there since no doubt everyone would instantly find out about Sanji-sama's plan, so instead, she had to wait for one of the alternative cooks that had been helping out on the Sunny to come out. It was a female cook, a tall brunette with doe eyes—well A doe eye; her right eye was covered by an eye patch and she had a couple band aids on other areas of her face too. She looked like she had better days so it was a wonder why she was cooking in the first place when she could have been resting but now wasn't the time for Hiniku to wonder. As silently as she could, she crouched in nearby blindspot and waited for the young cook to get close enough, like a spider to a fly. Before the poor thing could even squeal, Hiniku had her wrapped in a paper cocoon and carried her away as far as she could from potential prying ears.

"Don't scream, I'm Hiniku. I'm not trying to do anything funny, I swear, please don't scream."

The more she pleaded, the more the young cook calmed her breathing although fear was still very much etched onto her face. Still, the girl nodded and Hiniku slowly began removing the paper that had been covering her mouth.

"I know who you are," she said shakily with unshed tears starting to brim in the corner of her eyes. "You're a soldier. Part of the Unmodified."

"Yes."

"What do you want?"

"Without any of the Strawhats knowing, I want you to cook a meal." The girl was surprised. "Sanji-sama has woken up but long story short, he wants to look for something before the rest of his crew finds out. However, he hasn't eaten practically all day so I need someone to make a meal for him."

"Sanji-sama is awake?!" The girl went from frightened to confused to now genuinely excited. "You could have spared me the heart attack and simply told me that!"

"I—what? Look doesn't matter, can you make the meal or not?"

"Of course, I'll whip up something quick."

And with the speed of light, the young girl raced off into the kitchen of the Germa ship. Whereas Sanji was done showering in ten minutes, the girl was done in 20. She held a tray with a bowl of what appeared to be soup. _That's all?_ When Sanji saw who it was that had made the meal, he smiled wide.

"Is that Cosette?"

The girl in turn blushed so hard that it reached down to her knees, which were also wobbling in place. She nodded quickly and thrusted the tray towards Sanji. "Sanji-sama, I'm so glad to see you again—doing well, I mean!"

"Yes, likewise and I'm glad to see you doing better as well."

"It's all in thanks to you and your crewmates, Your Highness. Your doctor did an amazing job in helping me; he even provided me this eye patch."

Cosette leaned her face closer so Sanji could get a better look at the eye patch, but instead of feeling impressed, Sanji felt a horrible sense of guilt.

"Cosette-chan, I am so sorry, will your eye be okay?"

It was her turn to smile sadly. "It's still too early to tell. I was told that there was a chance I'd lose my sight but I'd have to give it more time to tell."

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"Don't be, Your Highness! You don't have anything to apologize for, you actually saved my life, in more ways than you can say. I have so much to thank you for, even for complimenting my food when no one had ever before."

"But I still couldn't—because I interfered—"

"This unfortunately would have happened in some other way even if you didn't intervene. Please don't feel sad on my behalf, Your Highness, this won't hold me back from cooking. I'd still cook even if both eyes were missing."

Sanji felt the passion in her words. At least in respect to cooking, Sanji and her were the same. He smiled at her, feeling inspired and more motivated than ever to get back into the kitchen. Until then, Sanji had to rely on others in handling the meals, including his own; he gestured towards the bowl, instantly noticing that there were a variety of proteins in it. The broth shimmered and different vegetables (mostly carrots) were buoyed at the top. There was no hesitation in taking a hearty bite. Sanji moaned and felt envious that he couldn't have been in the kitchen to witness how she made such perfection.

"Is it good, Your Highness?"

"Sanji," he corrected. "And it's amazing. Thank you so much, Cosette-chan."

Because he was so tuned into his meal, only Hiniku could witness the dazed but admiring look on Cosette's face. Oh boy, without trying, Sanji was winning over the opposite sex as easily as he could cook. The trio remained silent, except for Sanji's eating, but it wasn't a long lasting situation because of how fast Sanji devoured his meal. It was almost as if he licked the bowl clean. Cosette blushed again when Sanji thanked her for providing such a fantastic dish and thanked him in turn for the compliments. When all was said and done, it was time to move.

"Cosette-chan, in case anyone asks, you didn't cook me anything. At this time, no one can know what I'm up to, otherwise they'd all throw a fit."

"Yes, Y—Sanji-sama, you're secret is safe with me. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for."

"Thank you," he replied, feeling intensely warmed by her words. And just like that, Cosette ran off quietly leaving Sanji and Hiniku to their own devices. "Are you ready?"

"No, but I'll be following you anyway."

There was no reply—verbally—but a handsome smile and a _wink_ before they both copied Cosette and ran off towards the direction of Roi, the main ship.


	8. Blue vs Green

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** I'm back with another piece! Whoo-hoo, we are getting closer to the fun stuff! Okay, so this chapter was fun, I really enjoyed writing from mostly Hiniku's perspective-ish but then again, this chapter was hard because of the Zoro scene—he's a lot harder to write for than I thought. Since he's so noble in canon, it's hard to sustain that and I wanted him to be a little petty I guess. I may let him get away with that, but only a little bit—he can't be too OOC!

For those unaware, I have a FB page dedicated to this story in addition to my other fanfics and my own works. I make the occasional updates on what's going on in life and it's where you guys can ask any question you want or put postings yourselves if it's about the fanfics. Just look up EggsandBaconFics or CrimsonNi and it should come up. Alright, that's it, check it out and give a review!

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

~* _Page Break_ *~

 **Chapter Seven:**

Re-boarding on Roi proved to be extremely easy. It wasn't as if Sanji had to pull some of his old sneaking tricks to dodge an enemy so it gave him plenty of time to think. There was so much to consider and that was in thanks to his grand confusion and frequent passing out due to blood loss—he needs to stop losing more blood or Chopper is going to run out at some given point. Thinking over everything that has happened thus far and has been relayed to him since waking up, Sanji concluded that they—the Strawhats—were currently on pause for 2 reasons: to allow him some time to recover and because they _can't_ leave yet. He touched upon it the day before when he remembered that Kaido was defeated but the reality of it was really beginning to sink in now. _Kaido was defeated_. The Strawhats, the main party responsible, couldn't just sail back on sea as if that wasn't a fact—the marines and rivals alike would be all over them. Them remaining here for the time being was a safety net, a place to let the political waves ride out until there was a window to slip through. So on a grand scale, that answers that but on a more smaller spectrum, there was still Sanji's personal issues on the table.

Reiju was out there doing lord knows what with the promise of her return, Ichiji is injured and alive but there's no admittance of where he is currently recovering, the other two are either with Reiju or Ichiji (but Sanji isn't really that concerned), and then there's his fa—Judge. The fat bastard of the North who isn't _anywhere_ to be found, something that Sanji isn't comfortable in thinking about. If he escaped the battles then that could suggest he's anywhere at this point, plotting something in order to seek his revenge…like harming Zeff. Just thinking about it sent a ripple of shivers down Sanji's back. However, there was also another pressing matter that bothered Sanji greatly. Although it came in the form of a nightmare, Sanji knew it was a memory returning to him and if it was anything to go by, then it needed some major clarification. He needed to better understand Ichiji's statements.

Sanji wasn't sure if the answers were in the labs but he had a sure feeling that he'd find something of value. There were a couple of soldiers patrolling the main deck, Sanji recognizing a couple of them from before, but he guessed that Hiniku said something because they simply saluted them and continued on their way, leaving them to their devices. Hinku also helped with opening the locked doors of the labs—how she knew the codes, Sanji wasn't going to ask—so all he had to do was walk right in. Unlike the rest of the ship, the labs looked pristine, as white and clean as when Yonji and Niji showed him before. There was paper and graphs scattered about on the tables and counters, everything else sill looked in order. So much order in fact that there were still clones in the tanks…

"Have they been in there this entire time?" The question was asked in a whisper by a visibly shaken Sanji.

"Yes," Hiniku replied. "They could not participate in battle since they were not completely developed."

He swallowed. "When will they be…complete?"

"Perhaps in another few days or so. I can destroy them if you'd like, Sanji-sama. I know how much you dislike this form of science."

"No!" He shouted. "No, don't…do that. Whether I approve of the science or not, I won't be like Judge and dispose of them."

Hiniku smiled, happy that Sanji wasn't going to order her to kill the clones. She should have figured that he'd be benevolent enough to spare even an artificial human. However…

"Sanji-sama, as honorable as that is, there are other labs in at least 25 percent of the ships and if you were to take responsibility for them, that'd give you an additional 20,000 men and women to place under your wing."

"Twenty—Twenty-thousand?!" He shrieked in shock. His brows disappeared under his hairline and his eyes were like two large plates.

"Yes, Judge-sama wanted to build on his army as quick as possible as I'm sure you know. Had he continued, he would have expanded his labs to more ships and continued to create more clones."

Gnawing on his bottom lip to keep from tearing the entire ship apart, Sanji resorted to inhaling and exhaling several times until the bloodlust was to a minimum. Every time he heard Judge's name, the more it cemented the fact that he hated the man, more than he could ever hate anything ever! Now of all things he had to worry about an additional **20,000** mouths to feed—

"Do clones eat?"

"They do receive the same diet as the other soldiers but I am unsure if they have to."

"Okay, I'll talk to Franky and Chopper and ask for their advice. Until then, one thing at a time; I'll worry about the details later. For now, I need to know if there are any notes of any kind."

Hiniku quirked her head to the side. "Notes, sir?"

"Yeah, anything from the scientific lackeys that worked for Judge, or maybe even from Judge himself—I mean, he _is_ a scientist apparently," Sanji explained, muttering the last part to himself despite Hiniku hearing it anyway.

"Well, I'd only come in here when it was time to draw blood or collect other samples but I do know they have a small office in the back. Maybe in there?"

Sanji nodded, already turning away to look towards the back of the labs. The usage of the adjective "small" was pretty accurate since taking a quick look made Sanji realize that the room was stuffed with one desk, two chairs, and several filing cabinets. Deciding to just dive right in, Sanji opened the first drawer of the cabinet closest to him and pulled out files to read leaving Hiniku to awkwardly stand there. She waited, wanting to see if Sanji would give her an order or something but still he continued to shuffle through the files (at an amazing speed, she might add) without so much as a glance her way.

"Um, Sanji-sama, if you tell me what it is you're looking for, making I can be of assistance to you?"

Sanji shook his head, distracted with his speed reading. "No, that's okay. To be honest, I don't even know what I'm looking for." He said all of this without stopping himself from grabbing about file to read through.

His response surprised Hiniku; she imagined that Sanji had an objective in mind when he requested to come in here but to learn that he was just winging this perplexed her. Her curiosity grew, wondering what kind of questions did her prince want answered? Still, until he indulged her with more information, all Hiniku could do now was wait but if there was one thing she hated, it was to be bored. The last thing she wanted to do was to be a bother or a distraction to Sanji but if he wasn't going to utilize her, she needed _something_ to do…without thought, Hiniku sat in one of the chairs. Although it didn't look it at first glance, the chair was actually a little too high for the kind of desk provided so if Hiniku wanted to sit herself properly, her thighs would be flattened by the bottom surface of the desk. She opted to sit some distance away to prevent the issue but now she was left with the dilemma of awkwardly sitting closer to one of the filing cabinets. What was worse was that Hiniku was still left with her previous issue: not having anything to do. Looking back at Sanji, he was in his own world so he wouldn't be of any help.

Hiniku thrummed her fingers in thought and settled for just digging through the desk until she _did_ find something of interest. That lasted about 5 minutes when the desk proved to only hold some loose sleeve sheets. She was two seconds away from ripping her hair out! If she wanted to, she could turn this entire office into some kind of paper hell…right. She was a devil fruit user, she could just entertain herself! Using the blank sheets from the desk, Hiniku shaped the papers into different things like animals and people and plants….Unfortunately, that only lasted for maybe another ten or so minutes, leaving Hiniku with dread. _Just what the hell is there to do!_ She slammed her hand on the desk and instantly regretted it; she looked at Sanji but he barely flinched—thank goodness. Yet, her focus returned to the desk when she heard a thump from underneath and felt something heavy hit the tips of her toes. Looking under, Hiniku saw a think purple book with a gold-trimmed binding— _where the hell did this come from?_

Taking an even closer look at the bottom of the desk, Hiniku saw there was a hole where the book must have been encased. It was eerie and entirely too strange but just the thing to do the trick for her boredom! Quickly, she grabbed the book, noting how old and worn it looked. There was no title or any kind of labeling on the cover but inscribed on the inside cover was: FOR: VS/VP. Taking a further look into the book, Hiniku was further confused upon seeing different lists of "ingredients"—some that she had never even heard of—and odd measurements. Then at the bottom, there were long paragraphs of how to mix the ingredients together. _Was this a cook book?_ That made little sense. Hiniku read on, finding some of the instructions fascinating, almost story like. It was strange to think of it like so, but if Hiniku concentrated long enough, she could swear she was reading a complicated book. There was imagery in this book…maybe it was actually a spell book! That'd make more sense but it doesn't explain what one is doing in the labs hidden under a desk of all things.

"What're you reading?"

Hiniku screamed, clutching at her chest to stop her heart from leaping out. Sanji was surprised at her reaction. "Sanji-sama, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I didn't think you were that out of it, I'm sorry."

Feeling horrible that she just shouted at Sanji, Hiniku paled and bowed her head in her own apology. "I'm so sorry, Sanji-sama! You're right, I was distracted!"

"Hiniku, calm down, it's no big deal. Was it the book?"

She then remembered she still had the book open on her lap. "Yes, it's quite…odd. I think it's a spell book."

There was a small curl to Sanji's lip. For some reason, he found it amusing to hear the phrase; despite all of the crazy things he has seen throughout his life, a spell book still seems a little far-fetched. He wanted to take a look at it to see what it was that intrigued her so much but then they both heard a loud commotion. It was muffled at first but it continuously got louder, resulting in Sanji racing out to take a look. Exiting the labs found Sanji coming face to face with one of the clones (A0K4I3, Sanji remembered) staring blankly at a furious Zoro.

"Marimo?"

Hearing the stupid nick-name made Zoro's gaze shift from the man he was about to cut in two to Sanji. "Shit-Cook," he growled. "What the fuck are you doing?"

The intensity of his tone startled Sanji. "What am I doing? What the hell are you doing?"

"Finding your ass! Chopper's been losing his shit thinking you've been kidnapped!"

Sanji's stomach dropped to his asshole. He wasn't sure how long they were in the labs but he didn't think so long that there was a search party already set out for him. "I-I didn't—"

"I don't care, find Chopper and tell those excuses to him."

"What the hell is your problem, asshole!" Zoro's attitude was grating on Sanji's nerves and he wasn't in great supply of them as of late.

"You with all this stupid shit you keep pulling. You're injured so stay your ass in bed so you can stop freaking everyone out and we can set out already."

More of Sanji's oxygen was leaving his lungs and it wasn't returning. Sanji wanted to scream a loud ' _how dare you_ ' but a part of him agreed with Zoro; he was causing trouble by not healing. He was right, they were waiting on him. And he was delaying them.

"I—"

Sanji tried to speak but his view of Zoro was cut when the clone stepped in his way, right in front of Zoro, and in what sounded like a dead, robotic voice, A0K4I3 spoke. "Your Highness, if you wish for me to terminate this enemy, I can do so."

It was then that Sanji noticed the other clones standing nearby in neutral positions but he was sure that if he ordered them to fight, they'd jump in an instant. Shock wasn't a strong enough explanation for the expressions on either Sanji or Zoro's face. Sanji's was self-explanatory, but for Zoro, well he's been challenged before, many times, but never has anyone ever non-directly threatened him before in such a manner. Not only did the clone refer to Zoro as Sanji's enemy but implied he could get rid of him!

"Cook, you better tell this robot to fuck off before he gets sliced."

"Well stop threatening everyone, asshat! A0K—" Sanji hated the ranked name and pulled out the letters, realizing that it spelled AKI. "Aki-san, Zoro's a crewmate, not an enemy. It's okay."

Instead of paying attention to Sanji's explanation, Aki only focused on the fact that he was given a name. "Aki…san?"

In result, Sanji looked nervous, afraid that he more insulted the clone than complimented him. "Yeah, that stupid ranking is a mouthful but the three letters spell Aki so that's what I called you. That okay?"

The clone could not find it within his understanding to defy the prince so he nodded and accepted the new title. His name was Aki now. But now they had to return to the matter at hand, which was this green-haired fellow threatening the prince. "Your Highness, I must not injure those labeled your crewmates, yes?"

"That'd be much appreciated, thanks." Sanji turned to face Zoro and although he felt tired, he managed to send an icy glare at him. "Now you, grass-head, fuck off the ship. You've got a bug up your ass that died and I ain't appreciating the results."

Zoro turned red in the face, trying to find a nasty retort to throw right back but even if he came up with a clever one, Sanji was already heading off the ship to find Chopper and the rest of the crew and Hiniku followed quickly behind. It was also due to the fact that Sanji didn't want to continue to talk with Zoro; he was a mess enough as it is, trying his best to rid himself of the Zoro-flu, but now that he's learning that Zoro has some kind of resentment towards him, he isn't sure how to approach him. He feels his hackles rise in defense, like he needs to be in constant combat mode around him, but also like he can't look at Zoro in the eye. These feelings were familiar and that's what Sanji hated the most. He never, _never_ thought he'd feel this way again, especially in an environment so familial, yet here he was with cold sweat tickling the back of his neck where he was sure Zoro was staring at right now.

Sanji barged right into the kitchen of the Sunny, because they seems to be the new hang-out spot for everyone at the current time, and sure enough, there Law was with Nami-swan.

"Sanji-kun!" she shouted, probably calling out to everyone else that he had been found. Nami lunged at him and aggressively wrapped her arm around him until he found himself in a tight hug. All Sanji registered was Nami's breasts being squished into his torso. And also that he couldn't breathe.

"N-Nami-swan…can't…breathe."

"You idiot, what were you thinking! Do you know how scared we were when Chopper said you weren't in your room!"

"I'm sorry—"

"And no one was being helpful! We couldn't find Hiniku-san and none of the soldiers would tell us anything!"

"I know, I'm sorry—"

"So Zoro said he'd look for you and Luffy tagged along but they argued about your health and now they're mad at each other!"

"I'm—wait, what? Luffy and Zoro had a fight?"

Thankfully, Nami pulled back, releasing her crushing hold on Sanji. "Nothing physical," she continued. "There was a lot of yelling. I don't know what's going on with any of you guys," Nami added with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," Sanji said for the final time. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble. I went to browse around the main ship, do some investigating since I grew restless. I shouldn't have left as I did, I can only say I am so sorry."

Nami hugged him again, although much gentler this time. "No need, Sanji. I can't imagine what you're going through and how confusing it must feel. Don't listen to Zoro, alright? I don't know what his problem is but when he grows up, he'll get over it."

Sanji wanted to much to believe those words, soak them in and call them pure fact, but he knew that wasn't how life worked. Yes, Zoro was crossing the line to _some_ extent, but he wasn't completely in the wrong. If they were to be attacked right now, they'd be vulnerable and the entire moment would be too chaotic to control. He was the hindrance to their current progress. He was going to voice this so that Nami understood and so that she wouldn't give Zoro too hard of a time but then the door swung open and Chopper flew in like a bullet, with Luffy and Usopp trailing behind.

"SANJI!" Similarly to Nami, Chopper, in his humanoid form, hugged Sanji with a force that stole all of breath. "Are you okay? Where were you? You're not hurt, are you?!"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm fine."

"You idiot!" Everyone screamed in unison, minus Law and Robin.

"Sanji," Luffy began, a serious tone indicating that he was not happy with him.

"I'm sorry, Luffy," he apologized for the umpteenth time. "I didn't mean to scare everyone. I wanted to look around the main ship and figured I'd be back before anyone would notice. It was my fault."

Luffy blinked, seeming to absorb Sanji's words. He then looked to Hiniku, who was hidden in the corner with the thick book buried in her arms. She looked as if she were trying to avoid Luffy at all costs. "Was Hinbaka with you?"

Right, Hiniku did mention that she was on Luffy's shit-list and she wasn't kidding. "Luffy, stop trying to scare her, she was with me but I told her not to say anything."

Luffy huffed, not seeming to be satisfied with the answer. Then again, if Nami's story checked out, Luffy could be agitated for an entirely different reason.

"Well now that Sanji's here safe and sound, we can relax!" Usopp chirped, doing his best to lighten the darkened mood.

"Yes, Blackleg-ya's safety is of upmost importance," Law added. Sanji was definitely not expecting that kind of comment from the doctor and he wasn't sure if Law was being sincere or facetious.

"Hiniku-san, what kind of book is that your holding?" Robin asked, which shouldn't be a surprise since Robin is the bookworm of the crew.

Although Sanji knew he had no need to panic, he did feel a cold shiver race down his spine. He worried if the book was indeed a spell book and that if Robin could decipher it, would she actually use it?

"An old cook book," she replied, which wasn't entirely untrue on her part. There were some food references mentioned. However, upon hearing the word 'cook', Luffy perked up.

"There's food? Anything good?"

"Uh…" Hiniku wasn't sure how to answer that. She opened the book mid-section to see if she could just throw out a title and maybe Sanji-sama could make something up from that! Except, when she did so, a light thud came from the book and she found that there was something placed within the confined of the book and it had fallen out. She looked and saw that it was a squished box of cigarettes, the **DEATH** brand. Hiniku picked it up and inspected the box, finding a cigarette still inside. "There's a cigarette in here."

She looked at Sanji and saw his face was once again elongated to make a surprised expression. The blues of his eyes were small, his face missing a nice splash of color, and his jaw was nearly unhinged. She was confused as to why Sanji looked so taken aback.

"Is something the matter, Sanji-sama?"

"I haven't…smoked," he replied in awe. "Not one."

Hiniku didn't understand the gravity of that, not entirely; she knew he smoked, noticed it in fact when he returned and had one every second of the day (even during the wedding) but she didn't think to categorize it as addiction. The rest of the crew, however, looked as if they've seen a ghost. Even Robin, one of the more stoic members looked surprised at this revelation.

"I don't understand," Hiniku confessed.

Sanji held out his hand, silently asking for the cigarette. Considering that there was no need to disobey, Hiniku handed him the box and watched as Sanji took the cigarette out and lit it up with a lighter he had stored away in one of his pockets.

"Sanji! You don't know how old the cigarette is and it's not good for you!"

But Sanji paid no heed to his shouting doctor. For he inhaled the ancient nicotine like a starving man, until his eyes rolled into his head and closed, and exhaled thick fumes that circled around the ceiling before disappearing. There was a silence that lingered a little too long and Sanji still stood there with his eyes closed.

"Sanji-sama?"

Hiniku's response was verbal silence, but a physical fall to the floor. Sanji laid passed out, cold and unresponsive. As everyone immediately jumped into action to see what happened and what was wrong, Hiniku felt a piercing glare being sent her way. Yup, as she suspected, Luffy was going to murder her the first chance he got. For some reason, Sanji-sama was just prone to injury around her….


	9. Deus X Machina

Bonjour Friends!

 **AN/:** Wow, it's been a _very_ long minute and my apologies for that. Yes, part of the reason has been work—I wish I could accurately describe everything that's going on but long story short, I got a promotion and a raise but I'm also being forced to work 2 departments and I only want to really work in 1 of them. Plus my daily schedule is absolutely insane!

Then there's my personal/home life; that where my anxiety and depression acts up the most. I butt heads against so many members of my family that by the time I get access to my computer, I just want to binge watch garbage because I don't have neither the energy nor the attention to dedicate to writing. But I've been thinking of One Piece a lot (more so on Sanji and Luffy) and decided to do them justice as best I can. Hope Luffy isn't too OOC in this but let me know what you think and again, sorry for the disappearance.

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as **Always a Sin** and **Not the Same as Them** which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

~* _Page Break_ *~

 **Chapter Eight:**

Sanji had to wonder if this is what God feels like whenever he "checks up" on the mortals of the world. For Sanji's head felt as if it were trapped in void filled with various radio channels all sounding at once. It was vexing and overwhelming—he just wanted it to stop so he could appreciate the silence. But the more he tried to deny the sounds, the louder they became. He could not discern what any of the voices were saying, just that they were incoherent and loud. Sanji clutched his ears but to no avail. The noises continued to grow louder until Sanji opened his eyes and all he could then hear was silence. The juxtaposition left him disorientated and shaken; the palms of his hands were a little sweaty and rattled and his heart was pounding a mile a minute.

 _Breathe, Sanji, breathe. One, two, breathe, three, four, breathe._ The manta was repeated over and over until his breathing felt regulated. Sanji took note of his body, checking off that everything was fine…real fine. Nothing hurt, not even his arms. Sanji then took note of where he was and noticed the familiar ceiling of the Sunny medical room. The room smelled as it usually did, clean and a little woodsy, and it felt as it normally would, room temperature. So there were no red warnings that he was in any danger—except for the lack of pain he was in. Coming back to those thoughts lead Sanji back to thinking about the noises in the void, then thinking of what he was doing before that. He thought hard, remembering how he was standing in the kitchen with the crew and they…were talking about the book? Yes, the strange book. Then something fell out, but what was it? It was on the tip of his tongue, he knew what it was but it wasn't coming to him. It was causing some irritation to bubble under his skin.

 _No, calm down, you're not going to figure it out if you get mad. What fell out of the book?_ He thought it over again, this time slower, calmer. The image of his hand reaching out came up and he went to grab something from Hiniku. It happened so fast, he remembers….remembers putting it to his mouth—a cigarette!—and lighting it. Now it's clear, he remembers smoking it and feeling _so fucking euphoric_. It felt like he had experienced pleasure for the first time; there was heat traveling all throughout his body. His lungs felt wide, his stomach full, his blood fluid. Then he passed out.

Sanji shot up from the cot of the medical bay and concluded that he was correct. He was on the Sunny, on the cot, and his arms felt like paperweights. Despite the overwhelming sensation beating up his brain cells, Sanji felt as if everything—or at least most—of what has been going on made sense. He remembered now! Not just of the recent events but about…his brother. About Judge. _Shit!_ The realization had Sanji scrambling to snatch the sheets off his body and race out the door, but a voice halted him.

"I wouldn't if I were you," said Law.

Sanji was proud that he hadn't shrieked or let any other expression of surprise slip. He'd be damned. But he was also ashamed that his observation haki hadn't alerted him that there was a witness to his oddness.

"What's going on?" Sanji snapped back, internally apologizing for the rudeness. It wasn't Law's fault that he currently felt out of sorts.

"You passed out less than in hour ago and now Strawhat-ya wants you on the Sunny to be closely monitored."

"Ah, fuck, Hiniku is probably shitting her pants. She wasn't kidding about Luffy being upset."

"That's a bit of an understatement. He's been glaring a hole through her head since your collapse."

"Where are they now?"

"Still in the kitchen. I volunteered to do the monitoring."

"That right? Because…?"

"It'd give me a chance to check on you."

Law, in Sanji's eyes, was a creepy fuck. Although, had anyone else said that to him, he'd kick their jaw into their stomachs. It had to have been because Sanji could somehow tell that Law wasn't lying. He didn't get the feeling that Law was after something for his own personal gain.

"Okay, I'll bite."

The staring contest between them made Sanji feel awkward. Law's eyes were reminding him of molten lava, slow and intense. They were also suffocating in how they made Sanji wish to be able to look away but found that he couldn't. It should not have been a surprise that a small lick of envy reared its ugly head again, forcing Sanji to wonder if Law shared this same intensity with Zoro. It had Sanji's heart thumping heavily in his chest.

Suddenly, Law stood and quietly made his way closer to Sanji. He never disconnected his gaze from Sanji but still made every movement visible, almost as if he were dealing with a wild animal. It was apparent that Law was reaching for his arm and Sanji was aware of that, but he still seized his arm in trepidation.

"I won't hurt you," Law said quietly.

"I know." And Sani meant it, he knew. Yet there was so much about Law that Sanji knew nothing about. Mystery painted this man thicker than skin.

Before Law's fingers so much as tickled his arm, Sanji took a deep breath and gave Law the nod of approval. Law's hands were warm and steady, just like last time. He started from the top, taking his time in peeling back the wrap, anticipating that the wrap would be stuck against the open areas of his skin. To Law's surprise, there was little tug or resistance. No, Sanji's arms, although not completely healed, looked as if it has been sped through time. There were pink scars scattered throughout and compared to before, where there were nasty red wounds, were now smaller and in the process of scabbing.

"What…in the world?"

"What?"

"Your arm, it's healing."

"Isn't that the point, Doc?" Sanji asked sarcastically.

"The skin was practically falling off the last time I observed, it's completely different now. It looks as if weeks have passed."

Sanji disagreed. Sure, the burn marks were less prominent but his arms were marred. There were wrinkles and scars that Sanji knew, with given time, would develop insecurity. As Sanji went to voice this, he gasped as he suddenly felt Law skim his hands up and down his arms. The heat of his hands felt scalding to the still fragile skin…yet _amazing_. It was as if his skin was eating the heat of Law's hands. Bemusedly, Sanji imagined himself a purring cat or a submissive dog, silently begging for more.

Believing that he hurt Sanji, Law snatched his hands away. "My apologies—"

"No, it's alright, I guess I'm cold. Your hands are warm."

A hint of a smirk peeked through Law's typical scowling expression. "Good," he said in a whisper-like tone. "My practice as a surgeon has come in handy."

Had the moment not felt strangely intense, Sanji would have rolled his eyes. Instead, he opted for wit. "I keep forgetting that you're a doctor. You never dress or act like one."

"Forgive me, but do you not have a medical crewmate that is a talking reindeer with a blue nose?"

Sanji chuckled. "Good point."

Then again, Law took him by surprise by taking a hold of his right arm and rubbing his hands. Sanji shuttered in happiness—physically at least. "It makes sense that you feel cold; the loss of blood lowers your temperature."

"Mmhmm," Sanji moaned. By this point, Sanji's eyes were closed as he basked in the warmth of the surgeon's hands. Before leaving, he'd make sure that Law would not speak a word of this. But all sensations halted when he felt a more isolated heat from a different source. Immediately opening his eyes, Sanji was face to face with a Law memorizing his hands before placing a soft kiss to his knuckles. Sanji was in too much shock to react. "L-Law? What are—"

"It appears that allying with this crew has helped me realize how selfish I have been with my person. My battle against Joker highlighted this fact as well. Uncaringly, I sacrificed my arm, believing that it didn't matter, as I was going to die in the end regardless.

When we found you after your battle with your brother, all I saw was familiarity. You looked exactly as I did against Joker, hurt and battered. Except Strawhat-ya reacted much differently. He was very panicked and demanded that we—Tony-ya and I—check on your hands. I had informed him your arms were critically injured but that your hands were intact and fine. No one had explained to me why this was so important until I asked, as I was growing tired of Strawhat-ya making such demands. He finally told me the importance of your hands and why you treasured them so dearly. It was the first time I heard Strawhat-ya speak so sophistically. It made me realize that as a surgeon, as a doctor, it is my duty to preserve my skill in the best manner that I can. I cannot respect Corazon or the medical field if I continue to treat my hands so carelessly. I am very glad the health of your hands are in mine; it is an honor."

"Jesus, Law," Sanji said breathlessly. Each word he spoke left Sanji open and raw. It was more than sincere, it was reverent. Sanji believed him, Law truly was honored to help him. And Sanji wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it, let alone how to respond.

But Law continued. "Like me, the health of your hands are of great importance. You cook to increase and maintain the health of your loved ones. Except I think you are keeping your skill on too small a scale."

"Meaning what?" Sanji asked hoarsely. He was trying to digest his shock as casually as possible.

"I know that you've inspired and changed the lives of many, just with food alone, you've saved lives. These are not just the hands of a pirate chef who just so happens to be good—really good. These are the hands of a king."

With lightning speed, Sanji snatched his hand back and stared at Law with saucer-sized eyes. "What are you on?" He demanded. "What the hell do you even mean?"

Law then stood to his full height until it casted a shadow over Sanji. He looked intimidating and threatening but Sanji did not get the vibe. Although he did have to restrain himself when Law grabbed for his chin. They were face to face, yellow and blue within inches of each other. _Shit he's attractive_. Sanji shook those thoughts right out.

"I mean," his voice vibrated lowly. "that this pond is much too small for you to grow in."

"I—"

"Torao! How's San—". At the entrance of the medical bay stood Luffy with a curious expression. There had been remnants of a smile but Sanji—and presumably Law—could tell that it was slipping. "Hey Sanji, what're you doing?"

There was a notable heat burning Sanji's cheeks as he realized Law's fingers were still holding onto his chin while his figure remained hovering over him. He couldn't recognize or acknowledge it at the moment, but a dreadful flutter threatened his heart upon seeing Luffy stand there with a look of confusion. Instead, Sanji reacted with a harsh shove at Law.

"Luffy, we're uh…he was checking my pulse."

"Is it working?" Granted, it was a strange way to phrase the question, but it was innocent enough and knowing Luffy as well as he did, Sanji knew that was just how Luffy processed foreign information.

"I'd say it is. It's thumping rather chaotically," Law replied, the tone almost seeming amused.

Sanji wanted to shove his shiny shoe up Law's ass—if he were wearing them. He wasn't sure if the bastard was having an internal laugh at his expense but as soon as he got the chance, he'd make sure Law would pay. Until then, the icy glare had to do.

"Awesome! Torao, can I talk to Sanji for a minute?"

"Why are you asking me, he's _your_ chef."

Neither Sanji nor Luffy replied yet there was an unspoken shift in the room after Law said that. Sanji, for some reason, felt the need to fight off a heavy blush, especially after getting a peak of Luffy looking so…serious(?). He wasn't sure what the right term was but Luffy's expression, for what feels as if the first time ever, wasn't so simple to read. Getting the hint, Law stepped out and left Sanji and Luffy alone in the medical bay.

Not wanting to sit in silence, Sanji spoke up first. "I know I said it a million times already, but I am sorry for causing so much trouble."

"You're not causing trouble, Sanji."

He begged to differ but he wasn't going to have an argument with Luffy about it. "Then what do you want to talk about?"

Luffy decreased the distance between himself and Sanji, standing right where Law had been standing just before. "I don't know what's going on," he admitted.

"What else is new?" Sanji managed to joke, hoping it would loosen the tension brewing between them.

It worked enough for a tiny smile to crack Luffy's serious(?) expression. "This," he gestured at Sanji. "This feels new to me."

"I don't get it, what does?" Sanji asked, still not understanding Luffy's meaning.

"I don't know what's going on with the Sunny or with you. We just kicked Kaido's ass and I'm happy, everyone else is happy, but…I feel…urgh! I don't know how to explain it!"

Sanji could tell because as Luffy tried to think of the words to describe his feelings, his forehead turned a stark red and purple from the effort. Sanji was worried that Luffy would pop a blood vessel.

"Well, don't go blowing up, take it easy. You're saying you're feeling happy but there's another feeling mixed in with it? Maybe it's an opposing feeling, like anger? Fear? Nervousness?"

"Yeah, that one! The last one!"

"So you're nervous? What for?"

With how sudden Luffy grabbed onto his chin, Sanji had to wonder if there was a weird bug going around on the ship that was causing this odd, forward behavior. Luffy's never grabbed him in any capacity before, yet all of a sudden, he's mimicking what Law had done just moments before. Sanji was also sure his eyes widened and the blush that he tried holding back before came with a force that almost lit his skin on fire. Their faces were a smidge closer than his and Law's and it left Sanji with jelly-like limbs. He was thankful that he was standing at the moment. _What the hell?!_

"L-Luffy?" He whispered brokenly. Sanji considered himself well versed in the antics of Monkey D. Luffy but nothing in his experience ever prepared him for this kind of intensity.

"Why do I get this bad feeling that you're not with me, Sanji?"

"W-What?"

"It's like you're not here and when you are, you're not happy."

"I am hap—"

"Please don't lie. I want to help but I can't if you keep running away to deal with it by yourself."

"I'm not running away from anything, I'm just…trying to figure things out. You don't know what's going on, well imagine me. I have no idea on the status of my family, there's the matter of all of these soldiers who are relying on my guidance! Then there's my health which appears to be either falling apart or working on overdrive."

Luffy's hand moved from his chin to the side of his face to cup it in his palm. "You're not by yourself, Sanji, you have us."

Yet that wasn't as satisfactory as Luffy assumed it would be. "Thank you but I don't even know what I need help with. Plus, I've regained my memory about my fight with Ichiji…and there's some questions I need answers to. I know you're by my side and want to help, but I think I need to go at this on my own."

Still, Sanji could not help but smother his face in the warmth of Luffy's hand. It felt immensely different from that of Law, almost as if there were little sparks with every caress. Because of that, Sanji almost whimpered with the loss of the hand when Luffy retreated. _Come back, damn you!_

Luffy was seen smirking, as if he could somehow read Sanji's mind. Despite being such a doofus, Sanji would be surprised if he could. "Okay, if you want that, but can I ask you a serious question?"

"Sure."

"That's all this is, right? Because of your family? Nothing else?"

"That's 3 questions."

"Sanji…"

"What are you implying?"

Luffy hesitated, even biting his lip, which was something he only did when he stole food. This wasn't a conversation related to food in anyway so Sanji was a bit baffled for why Luffy would be nervous.

"This isn't about Zoro?" He nearly whispered as he asked.

"…Zoro?"

"Zoro."

"What does Zoro….have…anything…," and then he trailed off. Sanji looked at Luffy, right into his pupils without so much as blink. Where Luffy's brown eyes were wide in fear, Sanji's were narrowed in building embarrassment. He felt mixed with the desire to die and fury. " _How did—_ For how long?!"

"I don't know, I just did."

Nausea whipped violently in the base of his chest and his eyes began to tear with the frustration. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what set him off; it wasn't as if Luffy would be one to judge or use the information against him, but him _knowing_ —actually _figuring it out_ —terrified Sanji. It meant that Sanji wasn't as subtle as he believed this entire time. This meant that possibly the _ENTIRE FUCKING CREW_ knew! It meant that Zoro fucking knew! Hyperventilation began to set in. He grabbed at his face and took as many deep breathes as he could, wishing that a black hole from somewhere would take him to an abyss. Faintly, he could hear Luffy calling his name, apologizing, telling him that it was all okay.

 _No, it's not okay! It never was, it never will be now!_ He felt no different than when he was a child and Zeff would catch him doing things he wasn't supposed to be doing. One particular memory came to mind; when he had still been on the "peeling potato" stage of his training, Patty and Carne had been particularly annoying. It was due to him mentioning the All Blue again. They mocked him, saying the same things the chefs on The Orbit would say and Sanji reacted no differently to the ridicule—he lashed out. He cussed and spat every cruel name in the unwritten book of man. But he knew he crossed a line when he called out on the fact that Carne was bi-racial. Sanji couldn't name why that popped into his head, but it was as if he just _knew_ those particular slurs would pick at him. So he shouted them with a faux confidence only an arrogant, ignorant child could exude.

It was when the kitchen fell eerily silent that Sanji knew he fucked up. And what made Sanji nearly wet himself was when Zeff clicked up to him with the familiar uneven gait (Sanji assuming that he was about to be kicked into oblivion) and merely growled a "get out". It wasn't filled with any kind of malice, in fact the demand was devoid of any emotion. Confused, Sanji looked at Zeff to get a better understanding and saw what he dreaded the most—his biggest fear. That Zeff would look exactly as Judge always looked when he spoke about or to Sanji—disappointed.

That was what he felt sitting in this confined room with his captain whispering condolences of pity. Like a big disappointment, as if he never learned. He could even hear Judge's words now, slicing him until he was nothing but scrap meat unfit to feed even the strays. Realizing he needed to collect himself and get out of the medical bay, Sanji sat himself straight and forced every emotions punching the back of his eyes to the bottom of his stomach. He'd deal with them at another time but for now, he had to get out. Get a cigarette, get some fresh air, and get some answers.

"I need to go," he said, praying that it sounded strong and coherent.

"Sanji—"

"I'm sorry, we'll talk later but I need to go."

Sanji pushed his hands away and reached for the door to make a hasty exit. He knew in the back of his mind that Luffy was respecting him enough to give him space because had this been about any other topic, Luffy's stance would have been unmovable. Standing outside, Sanji saw that the crew were stranded about on the deck, intermingled with some of the crew members of Law and maybe Kidd ( _right, he's apparently somewhere_ ). He saw Hiniku standing by the rail by Robin and Nami, chatting about whatever topics, but she must have sensed Sanji because he instantly found her looking up right at him. His expression had to have been obvious because within a second, she excused herself and warped both her and Sanji away.

She transported them on the deck of Roi, the main ship. The clone soldiers stopped and stood in formation to greet Sanji.

"I need a distraction," he said as soon as the soldiers dispersed.

"Anyway I can help?"

"I remember everything now, at least most of it from before I passed out. Until Reiju returns, I can't do anything, so I need some other ideas. Something related to Judge and his "science"."

"What about the book I found? I read through some of it after you passed out in the kitchen and it's really strange."

"Do you have it?"

"Let me go and get it." Hiniku disappeared for about a minute before returning with the book in hand. "I really do think it's a spell book but it talks about food and mixes that make it seem like you can eat whatever its talking about."

That piqued Sanji's interest. Taking the book from Hiniku, he began skimming through the pages. Nothing stood out to him but he immediately understood what Hiniku meant—was this a spell book or a cook book? Sanji changed tactics and decided to start from the beginning, seeing the inscription: _FOR: VS/VP_. He was curious as to who that was; were they a fellow scientist on the ship? Not that it mattered because why would someone from the Germa have and hide this kind of book in the office filled with scientific notes? It just didn't make any kind of sense. But Sanji still took it upon himself to read through the first "recipe" and gather a sense of what this book was really about.

Slowly, he began picking up on the pattern that certain phrases of ingredients would be repeated in other sections of the recipe. A little bell sounded off in his head. And the more he read, the more bells went off. Although he was sure he never read this book before, he was certain that he was familiar with this sort of set-up. Lock-picking. Zeff had taught him well in the intricacies of picking the locks on the secrets hidden in literature. Sanji almost laughed upon remembering when he told Zeff that such a thing was stupid, it was not a needed or desirable skill. Fuck, now he needed to send a letter of apology to the old man. It wasn't long until Sanji realized that this wasn't just one long recipe either, these were pieces of a puzzle that transitioned from one to another….like a story.

"Holy shit," he whispered to himself.

"Hm?"

Sanji shot up, almost forgetting that Hiniku was there with him. Yet seeing her waiting patiently with him without one complaint falling from her, Sanji felt immense gratitude. Adrenaline was zapping him from the inside, demanding that he continue on his ventures to decipher the book!

"D-Do you know what this is?!"

"No? Isn't that why you're reading it, Sanji-sama?"

Deciding to throw personal boundaries over the rails, Sanji grasped at Hiniku's face and pulled her close. A bewildered look took over her expression, nearly causing Sanji to laugh, but he held it together. He was feeling too many emotions for one day. Still, he kissed each of her cheeks and presented her with a smile reserved only for a few. It left her melting.

Before she could ask for an explanation, Sanji shook his head, silently telling her to wait, to give him a moment. "I take back what I said before, you're pretty amazing. Thank you."

"What? Why? What's in the book?"

"Exactly what I needed."


	10. Pain and Apology

Bonjour Friends!

AN/: I've finally returned! As I've mentioned to some readers/commentors, 2018 has been a very rough year for me and it was difficult to sit down and _write_. I did have doubt that I'd ever return, but I felt a lot of inspiration lately so here I am. Although I still cannot promise to work faster and update regularly, I can promise to never quit. I do love writing these outlines and having the best time rereading and growing from these experiences. So please, enjoy, let me know what you think! The next chapters are gonna blow up; I can't wait!

If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as Always a Sin and Not the Same as Them which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

 **Chapter Nine**

"I don't understand; what did you find in the book?"

Sanji, who was high on endorphins for what felt like a few seconds, sobered up and recollected the memories the short passages of the book triggered. He felt his mouth move before hearing himself speak. Hiniku was zoned in on him, serious and concerned all at once. "When I was six years old," he began. "My mother gave me a book about dragons. Truthfully, I didn't particularly care for it, but anything my mother ever gave me was always met with the highest praise and joy. So I read it, thinking it was a book about the folklore of dragons."

"I'm assuming it wasn't."

Sanji cracked a smile. "No, it was actually about the relationship between humans and dragons. I remember reading a legend about a man that developed a deep, spiritual connection with a dragon-he loved it so much, he promised on his deathbed that in his passing, he would become the fire in the dragon's gut. If the legend were true, would you understand why that's considered arrogant and naive?"

Hiniku shook her head. She was enamored by Sanji's story-telling abilities and she was sure that he wasn't aware of just how good he was.

"Before their extinction, dragons were considered the most untameable creatures of this planet. Many have believed that dragons were so sentient, they could be comparable to gods or demigods. So this man who loved a dragon was considered a fool for dying and believing he could hold significance for something that never loved or cared for him in return. But according to legend, he _was_ loved back. The dragon treasured this human so much, he gave him the gift of rebirth. Everytime the human reached his end, he would be engulfed in flames and be born anew to live another lifetime."

"So they lived happily ever after?"

"It turns out that dragons are not immortal; surely they live very long, but even they have a limit. And unbeknownst to the man, everytime he was born anew with flames, the dragon's life span decreased. In the end, as much as the man wished against it, he had to live on without the dragon. Ironic really, since the man wanted to be the dragon's muse but it ended up being the other way around."

"Forgive me, Sanji-sama, but what does this legend have to do with the book?"

Sanji reached for a pencil nestled in the inside of his pant pocket-a proper chef always had a handy writing utensil in case there was an inspiring new recipe to write-and circled some phrases in the pages.

"See here?" He asked, facing the book towards Hiniku. "It's common for cookbooks or recipe books to start with an intro that describes the theme of the dishes. In this passage, there's mention that the theme is " _Laurenti_ inspired" and here," he said as he pointed to the first recipe listed. "It emphasizes that all ingredients must be aged. There's a couple other mentions of age and fire. Whoever wrote this book-and I already have an idea as to who-was referencing that old tale."

Unfortunately, Hiniku did not look convinced. "I'm sorry, Sanji-sama, but I'm afraid I still do not understand."

However, Sanji was patient. "Laurenti is a Northern-born scientist who studied all reptilian species, including dragons. He was known for being obsessed with them to the point of people accusing him of experimentation and was executed via hanging after it was learned that he trying to make that legend come true."

"How would that even be possible?"

"He experimented; he'd kidnap the likes of orphans or strangers and have them burned alive with the flames of the dragons. But to my original point, Laurenti, at his hanging, was asked if he had any last words. He said, 'I only regret the pain I've bestowed my dragons before my end'. The person who's writing this wrote a letter in the form of an allegory. He's apologizing to the recipient for causing them pain of some kind."

"Who wrote such a letter?"

"Vegapunk."

 _~*BREAK*~_

Contrary to popular belief, Zoro _does_ consider himself cultured….more so in alcohol, but traveling with the Strawhats has helped him learn a lot about different people and cultures. In other words, Zoro has seen some shit. All kinds of devil fruits and users, all kinds of weapons, all kinds of battles and death and foods; all aspects of life that one can imagine. But he's pretty sure that he's never seen _this_. Well, maybe a variation from other people that he's met along the way, but from Luffy? Never.

Before him in the sandy clearings of Wano stood Luffy, skin blaring red as if he were split open, glaring at the sky with a fury he barely witnessed with his battle with Kaido. Except, Kaido was not around, no other Yonko was around-no enemy in general. The Strawhats were keeping a strong eye on Kidd and his crew, so Luffy's level of ire was confusing for Zoro. He'd never seen Luffy so raw before and for a moment, he wondered if Luffy was worse off or tame (in comparison) to when he lost Ace.

What prompted him to come this way was the horrible aura that leaked through the air after the Cook's flashy departure. He remembered thinking something was wrong when the woman used her paper abilities to whorl the Cook through the sky onto one of the Germa ships and left Luffy with that aura. Then Luffy played his own disappearance trick and high tailed it to here where it looked like he was ready to destroy the ground beneath him. Luffy was taking deep breaths, one by one, attempting what Zoro would assume was regulation. As a man who regularly mediates to prevent himself from destroying random pirate ships on a whim, he knew it best to avoid disrupting the regulation process. He knew to remain quiet, to make his presence known, but not threatening. And after a while Luffy finally acknowledge Zoro.

"I made him mad."

"The Cook?"

Luffy mutely nodded. "Sanji, yeah."

Now this was completely foreign territory. They've never had this kind of 1 to 1 before. "Isn't he...always mad?"

Luffy frustratingly pulled at his hair and huffed, his cheeks returning to the scarlet color. "I don't get it! I want to help him but he won't let me!"

"Since when has that stopped you before? You've always barged your way into people's business-"

"But this is different! He told me not to butt in but this isn't right!"

Zoro sighed, feeling an urge to rub his temples. What he wouldn't kill to fuck or train right now. "This isn't like you, Luffy. You got a problem with the Cook, drag his ass here and settle it once and for all. We can't leave here with all this baggage; it's only going to set us back."

"I feel like I'm losing him again."

That stopped Zoro short. "Again?" Zoro's mind drifted to the 2 year separation, which, if that _was_ what Luffy was referring to, just _what the fuck?_ Luffy didn't only "lose" the Cook, but the whole goddamn crew! Did he just miss the stupid Love Cook?! He meant to ask, but Luffy's melancholy face stopped Zoro again.

Luffy looked right at him, right at his face, into his pupils and something very serious but silent was being spoken. "I've already lost him once." This wasn't about the 2 year separation.

The side of Zoro that was like everyone else, the nosy side that actually liked hearing about others, wanted to desperately ask what Luffy was talking about, but that look spoke volumes. It told Zoro that the moment he asked, he'd regret it and he wasn't even sure why. That nagging little voice whispered in the same kind of desperate tone as Luffy and begged him not to ask. It told him that he truthfully would not like to know the truth to that question. Then suddenly the voice yelled for him to _get out of the way!_ Luffy's arm enlarged from long and lanky to thick and veiny and unfortunately for Zoro, it was aiming right at him. But that voice warned him early enough for him to dodge. In doing so, Zoro's vision was filled with dust, debris, and sand.

"What the fuck?!"

"Coward!"

"What the hell is your problem, Luffy?!"

"Sanji is really stupid! He deserves better but he's too stupid!"

Zoro dodged again, this time ripping his swords out of their sheaths. He's fought Luffy only once before, but that was 3 years ago AND Luffy without haki training. Now, Zoro's beyond confident in his abilities and if this were a sparring match, this would be different. Because he would understand that it would be a fight to last a long while but neither would charge 100%. Except, this was a sparring match and against a furious Luffy? Truthfully, Zoro was kind of shitting himself. Which was bad, because Law had his way with him not too long ago and feeling the stretch now of all times? It certainly didn't help matters.

Still, Zoro wasn't going to just stand here and allowed himself to be beaten the crap out of. "Calm down, what the fuck does any of that have to do with me?!"

Wrong thing to say apparently since that made Luffy roar in anger. Luffy wasn't in the mood for talking apparently. Okay, time to tell "fear" to fuck off because whatever was Luffy's problem clearly had to be settled through combat. There was no time to tie his lucky bandana around his head, but fine, he had his swords so he could defend himself. He just wished he had some damn luck. Just as he secured Wado tightly between his jaw, Zoro suddenly found himself closer to the ships and Law in the same place he was standing. Luffy recognized the change in target and seemed only a little thrown off, but his focus returned in an instant. Luffy's face did not change in fury levels but at least he wasn't flinging spaghetti arms at Law. Clearly Law used that to his advantage because Zoro saw him walk right into Luffy's space to speak into his ear. It was frustrating, but Zoro was thankful that whatever Law was saying, Luffy seemed to buy. Although his skin was still blotchy, the steam leaking from Luffy's ears were cooling down and the frown lines were slowly disappearing. In a matter of seconds, Luffy's ire ran its course with the help of Law. Zoro watched as the two walked towards him and even though the voice returned to tell him it was safe, Zoro still felt it smart to keep his swords up to guard.

"I doubt you need those anymore, Zoro-ya."

Zoro did not respond, keeping his eyes focused on Luffy. He was subdued in expression, but he did appear better, lighter. "Sorry, Zoro. I didn't mean to try and hit you."

"Maybe you should talk with the Cook." He suggested.

The spark of fury lit up behind Luffy's eyes, making Zoro tighten his grip on his swords. "No, maybe you should."

For the third time in such a short amount of time, Zoro was stopped short. He was confused and angry and **confused**. He supposed he was more frustrated than usual because Luffy was the most readable person to him; even when he didn't understand him, he didn't worry because Luffy would somehow clue Zoro in how what he was thinking. Like with Law. Everyone, himself included thought Law was just using Luffy and to see Luffy just accept Law was baffling. Except, Luffy had this look and aura that spelled it out for him. While the rest of the crew were gossiping about how Law was ultimately going to kill him, Zoro understood that Luffy trusted Law thus Law was already to be trusted by all of them.

Then all three felt a third presence across the sand. They turned in time to see an army of white behind a head of pink. Had they not met her beforehand, it would be assumed that Sanji was doing some cross-dressing; the Princess (or Queen now?) was dressed in glamorous pink, including her cape draped over one shoulder. Her heels, although silent in the sand, somehow clashed with the surface enough to make her presence known.

"No, maybe I should," she stated with a sly smirk.

 _~*BREAK*~_

Hiniku was kind enough to grab more pencils and paper for Sanji to note his scrapings as he deciphered more of the book. It was rather thick, but the "recipes" were short enough to break down the code. He managed to get maybe a quarter in, still unable to learn who the recipient of the "letter" was, but Sanji was getting an idea of what Vegapunk was saying. The man sounded like quite the Laurenti. Sanji would have been able to decipher more had he not experienced the worst chill in his spine. He shot up from his seat and looked at all vulnerable spots a person could hit him from, but he couldn't identify the source. He felt too many auras, well actually, he felt 4, but 4 still considered many! One of them was quite a distance and not as gross feeling as the other 3 which made him want to smack himself on the forehead. These auras were very familiar. Blood-relative familiar.

Three powerful thumps landed in front of him and made a diamond formation. Yonji was to his left, Niji to his right, and dead center, was Ichiji. They were wearing their raid suits but Sanji was not blind to the darkening skin of Ichiji's neck and face. It was clear that he was burned, cut, and bruised but the extent of the damage was not as open. Sanji felt a tiny lick of bloodlust urging him to look. _Take a look_. And look he would after he learned how this would play out.

"Brother." The monotone voice spoke. Empty, lifeless.

"Ichiji," was hissed back. Did Sanji think tiny? He stood corrected, he meant the bloodlust was waking up and growing up to be quite the monster.

"I believe we have some business to finish". Without resistance, Ichiji's mouth stretched into a grimly smile befitting that of a monster. Sanji got the sense that Ichiji's own bloodlust was filling him with purpose.

Perhaps he commanded it through body language more than actual words, but the cloned soldiers were swift in their formations; they lined themselves behind the brothers, the front line armed with guns and the second armed with spears. Sanji assumed, at first, that the soldiers turned on him since the "masters" they served for years were now present, but the frowns on the all brothers' faces made it a clear indication. The tides turned in Sanji's favor. Still, the bloodlust wanted no casualty; it needed to spill Ichiji's blood on its own. Sanji waived his hand as a signal (hopefully one that they can read) to back off. And when they did, the bloodlust throbbed harder. He couldn't help himself any longer, Sanji just had to match his smile to Ichiji's.

"Yes, we do," he replied hungrily. Yes, his bloodlust was hungry and finally, _finally_ , it was time to satiate its hunger.


End file.
